Chapter 3. International Legal Regulation of Interstate Trade

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to offer a general account of the main features of the international legal regulation of global trade system. Special emphasis is given to those features of the system particularly relevant to an assessment of current and potential justifications of human rights related trade measures. Particular attention is devoted to the features of the trading system. Finally, this chapter provides a brief overview of the legal regulation of International trade under the world trade organization (WTO) Agreement. The rights recognised in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) largely reflect those addressed in treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The chapter focuses on theoretical and practical issues arising in relation to the interaction of trade rules, international human rights standards and other relevant rules and principles of international law.Keywords: international human rights standards; International legal regulation; International trade; trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS); world intellectual property organization (WIPO); world trade organization (WTO)