World Trade Organization Agreement Acceding Impacts on the Developing Countries’ Human Rights System

Abstract

Among the pillar objectives of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is improving the living standard of the people through a free flow of trade, trade liberalization, and building neutral means of settling disputes. However, developing countries criticize WTO principles by claiming they violate human rights norms like labor rights, environmental rights, and access to basic social service rights since developing countries lack resources, technology, and manpower, which are vital for the production of goods and services. Because of this fear, many developing countries retreat from joining WTO and from acceding since it is difficult for them to become advantageous from world free market trading. Thus, to make the WTO agreement a win-win podium of international commerce for both developed and developing countries, especially for the protection of human rights, there should be reform on WTO principles, and WTO must be a fair trade agreement rather than a free trade agreement.