Das Recht auf Handel

Mit einer interessanten Idee ist der Wirtschaftswissenschaftler und Nobelpreisträger Joseph Stiglitz an die Öffentlichkeit getreten: Danach soll die Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) das "Recht auf Handel" (Right to Trade) in ihre Satzung und ihren Streitschlichtungsmechanismus aufnehmen.


Das würde es armen Ländern ermöglichen, sich neue Marktzugänge zu eröffnen und für Verluste durch Markthemmnisse kompensiert zu werden:

Under such a mechanism, developing countries would be able to bring an action against any advanced country where 3 conditions are met:
- a specific group of poor people within a developing country can be identified as being significantly and directly affected by a   specific trade or trade-related policy of an advanced country.
- the effect of the policy acts to materially impede the economic development of those poor people.
- the impediment operates by restricting the ability of the people to trade, or gain the benefits of trade.

Damit der Vorschlag nicht sofort abgeblockt wird, schlagen die Wissenschaftler eine von UNCTAD verwaltete Globale Handelsfazilität vor, die verschiedene Aufgaben übernehmen sollte:

The Global Trade Facility would provide resources to support developing countries' actions under the dispute settlement system and fund genuine aid for trade assisting countries to maximise the benefits of new market access won through the dispute settlement system.
The Facility could also compensate developing countries for any losses -- such as reduced aid or other retaliation -- associated with any right to trade dispute.
It would also provide some adjustment and ongoing support to third party developing countries that may be negatively impacted as a result of changes to advanced countries' trade policies, for example where a developing country was receiving preferences whose value is eroded by liberalization emanating from a right to trade case.

Die Begründung von Stiglitz und seinem Kollegen Andrew Charlton: Das "Recht auf Handel" (Right to Trade) sei nötig geworden, weil Aid for Trade nicht die gewünschten Ergebnisse gebracht hätten.