FACULTY OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY | Seminar
Lautaro Martin Ramirez: The Crisis of Multilateralism and the WTO
Wednesday 11 March, 13:15 - 15:00
Zoom
Niagara, NI:C0933, 9th floor seminar room, or Zoom
Welcome to GP seminar, 11 March!
Title
"The Crisis of Multilateralism and the WTO: Institutional Paralysis, Power Shifts, and the Future of Global Trade Governance”
Speaker
Prof. Lautaro Martin Ramirez (Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Buenos Aires). Lautaro Martin Ramirez is a professor of Political Economy and Economic Integration, researcher and teacher at undergraduate and postgraduate level in International Economic Law, Customs Law, Foreign Trade, and Trade & Environment.
Abstract
The seminar will address the ongoing crisis of multilateralism as manifested in the institutional paralysis of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with particular attention to the erosion of its negotiating, monitoring, and dispute settlement functions. It analyses how shifts in global economic power, increasing geopolitical rivalry, and the proliferation of unilateral and preferential trade measures have undermined the WTO’s central role in global trade governance. Against this backdrop, the paper explores the implications of these developments for developing and middle income economies, with special emphasis on South America. The analysis highlights how South American countries have been affected by the weakening of multilateral rules, the rise of fragmented trade regimes, and the strategic use of trade defense instruments by major powers. It also considers the region’s policy responses, including renewed interest in regional integration, diversification of trade partnerships, and engagement in WTO reform debates.
