World Trade Organization and the Seattle Talks Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

The fall of 1999, Mike Moore, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it is expected that the WTO negotiations in Seattle in December 1999, will focus on improving the standard of living around the world, improving the environment, providing more resources for health and education, capacity the global economy and reduce the risk of future instability and crisis. It is characterized by the WTO aims to promote a new approach to international cooperation, based on rules rather than power-rule to help control the powerful forces of globalization for the benefit of all, the weak and the strong. Instead, the meeting in Seattle has been sidelined by a wave of protest, as widely disparate groups voiced strong opposition to the WTO and, more generally, for free trade. The protests focused on the perception of the impact of trade on the environment, work, human rights, and the balance of power between the major economic powers and developing countries. In addition, the WTO dispute resolution policies have been placed in the spotlight. The protests were a very common effect and WTO representatives put on the defensive. As the protests intensified, President Clinton objected to violent methods used by some protesters, but expressed sympathy with their desire for a more open and accountable to the WTO. After two days of protests, vandalism, and police enforced curfews, meetings were suspended. This case describes the history of the WTO protests in Seattle in the negotiations, the role of the Internet to mobilize protesters, the processes of the WTO dispute settlement, and the consequences of failed negotiations on the WTO and its opponents. "Hide
by Michael Hannan, John McMillan, Joel Podolny, Mary Ann Warren Source: Stanford Graduate School of Business 11 pages. Publication Date: September 3, 2002. Prod. #: IB41-PDF-ENG