Trade Negotiations In The Oecd: Structures, Institutions And States (a Publication Of The Graduate Institute Of International Studies, Geneva)

First published in 1993. This book is situated at the intersection of three main areas of international relations research. The first of these areas is the study of international organisations. The second area of inquiry is international relations theory the decisions reached within international organisations are generally the result of some form of bargaining among their members, an examination of the negotiations that go on among member countries is necessary in order to understand the functioning of these organisations. The choice of the OECD as a subject of investigation stemmed from an interest in a third area of study, international political economy, in particular the relations among countries in the field of international trade. Who prevails in international negotiations? What impact do negotiated agreements have on the policies and actions of participating countries? How well do contemporary international relations theories answer these questions? Using the case of trade negotiations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the author assesses the explanatory power of a number of models derived from the neo-realist approach, as well as from the theoretical literature on international regimes, international organisation, and interdependence. He also considers several factors operating within states which are generally excluded from most current international theories, and discusses the relative importance of system-level and state-level forces in determining the outcome and impact of multilateral trade negotiations. In addition to offering an evaluation of various international theoretical approaches, this study sheds new light on an important but poorly understood international organisation. It presents an in-depth historical account of negotiations conducted during the 1970s and 1980s in four areas: export credits, agricultural trade, steel trade, and trade in ships. The book examines how the agenda of the OECD is set, the nature of bargaining activity within the Organisation, and the role played by the OECD in the overall international trade regime. This study aims to shed new light on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It presents an in-depth historical account of negotiations conducted in the 1970s in four areas: export credits, agricultural trade, steel trade, and trade in ships. First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.