La lectura de trabajos académicos es una tarea a veces grata pero definitivamente onerosa en materia de tiempo. Por suerte cada tanto aparecen papers interesantes y -lujo de los lujos- lo suficientemente cortos como para dedicarles algo de atención.El trabajo Are Developing Countries Deterred from Using the WTO Dispute Settlement System? hace una buena contribución al aprendizaje en torno a la Organización Mundial del Comercio y analiza, en particular, el grado de utilización de los países en desarrollo del sistema de solución de controversias.
Argentina evidentemente no tiene grandes problemas en la materia ya que estamos entre los grandes usuarios del sistema (puesto nro. 11, arañando el top ten detrás de Chile):
The top 11 users shown here account for almost 80 % of all complaints made (285/363). The US and the EU are the major users with half of this total, but one should note the position of Brazil and India.La necesidad de involucrar a los países menos avanzados llevó a la creación del Centro de Asesoría legal en Asuntos de la OMC (ACWL, por sus siglas en inglés). Confieso que desconocía la existencia de esta venerable institución...
The ACWL, established in mid-2001 with financial support from a group of WTO members, provides general legal advice on the whole range of WTO agreements, rights and obligations to developing members, with a special focus on least developed members. In addition, it has a major role in actively assisting developing members who request its help in evaluating, preparing and pursuing dispute cases at the WTO. And, thirdly, ACWL also provides substantial help with training (six month part time courses) and with internships for least developed legal officials.
Hay más perlitas. Como mencionamos varias veces, China aparece como el gran ausente del sistema (aunque, como también hemos visto, el dragón se está despertando):
What is perhaps surprising is that some other WTO members, in a similar position, have not been more participative. The big absentee is of course China, now in third place for world trade in goods and fourth for services.
Algunas consideraciones sobre las preferencias unilaterales que afectan al sistema:
If this is so, it indicates that what one might call ‘rational decision making’ is at work. For many countries, as a practical matter, the benefits of GSP are a feature of primary importance to their exports, and if one adds access to schemes such as AGOA or ‘Everything but arms’ it is clear that maintaining such privileges would be a top priority.
Otra sorpresa. Desmitifica la cuestión de la falta de recursos:
Is lack of resources, human or financial, one of the problems? It is hard to prove a negative, and to be certain why something has not been done. On the one hand the contribution of the ACWL has already been noted: lack of resources should no longer be a major problem. On the other, it can always be said that extra resources and especially manpower could always make a difference to countries that have small delegations in Geneva and/or are far away from WTO, and that have small budgets. But, increasingly, resource difficulties in Geneva seem less and less the problem.
Y termina con un mensaje de esperanza:
Having said that, there are some signs that the system does work to provide a ‘level playing field’ and that the opportunities are readily available to all members.
(Vía: Trade Diversion)
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