The Journal of International Economic Policy

16

Authors: Andriy Radomsky

This article discusses the reasons for the multiple failures in the negotiations at WTO ministerial conferences. It identifies those aspects that need to be reviewed and changed in order to facilitate such negotiations. In particular, the organizational aspects are analyzed, including strategies for achieving a stronger consensus before the conferences, liberalizing the decision-making process at the conferences and ensuring the participation of developing countries. The feasibility of a package review at negotiations is also examined. The article argues that new issues on which the likelihood of consensus is low must be excluded from the WTO agenda because they not only overload the agenda but hinder the approval of any decisions. It also provides recommendations on negotiation tactics for participating countries.

21

Authors: Serhiy Lakhno

This paper focuses on issues surrounding Ukraine’s internal efforts for WTO accession given the importance of completing the negotiation process prior to the December 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. The paper is divided into two sets of issues: first, Ukraine’s prospects of acquiring WTO membership, including procedural questions, in the near future, and second, the substantive conditions for completing the accession process and the associated problems that require immediate attention. Among other matters, the paper describes the current procedure for WTO accession and proposes an optimum scenario for Ukraine’s membership, identifying the necessary measures, timeframes and risks that threaten the prescribed tasks. It also highlights major institutional problems that are hindering the harmonization of Ukrainian laws with GATT/WTO rules and offers a WTO-consistent legislative and regulatory action plan with specific proposals on amending relevant laws. The paper also illustrates the major problematic aspects of multilateralism that are impeding the completion of the negotiations. Furthermore, the author offers several proposals concerning approaches to and techniques for addressing these challenging issues.

25

Authors: Oleg Shvydanenko

This article deals with the conceptual foundations of the modern global economic system of development. It reflects the cyclical nature of changes to and the details of global integration processes. The creation of a global economy from a multi-paradigmatic angle is briefly outlined, taking into account the modern paradigms of globalization and the predominance of alternatives to the future development of a global economic space. The article investigates the development of a new type of world economy, a multi-system with a proven role for linkages and a more consolidated world economy. The article reveals the initial conditions for and main qualitative changes related to the integrated development of a complex network of interdependent national societies and macro-regional geo-economic structures. The article also reveals changes in the configuration of those factors that provide competitiveness for these societies and geo-economic formations.