The WTO as a Mechanism for Securing Market Access Property Rights: Implications for Global Labor and Environmental Issues

In this article, we describe a perspective according to which the central purpose of WTO rules is to create a negotiating forum where member governments can volunatarily exchange market access committments, with the assurance that the property rights over negotiated market access committments are secure against unilateral government infrignement. As we describe below, this perspective identifies how supporters of sound trade policies and supporters of sound labor and environmental standards can in a broad range of cirucmstances both benefit from a well-functioning WTO.