Paulsen: Let’s Agree to Disagree: A Strategy for Trade-Security

Mona Paulsen (London School of Economics - Law) has posted Let’s Agree to Disagree: A Strategy for Trade-Security (Journal of International Economic Law, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Unpredictable dynamics coupled with the WTO rules’ exclusivity of security challenge an institution that requires persistent coordination and transparency to function. WTO members need space to discuss – and disagree with – the intersection of security and trade policies. Deliberation of trade security is crucial for maintaining multilateral coordination, enabling governments, businesses, and individuals to navigate global economic networks. While members make (somewhat) use of existing WTO institutions and procedures, the exceptionalism and secrecy of security hinder information sharing and peer review of security-rooted trade practices. This article provides a descriptive analysis and prescriptions for WTO institutional techniques for addressing members’ security-related measures daily – that is, on a routine basis, via trade policy review and WTO notification processes. It shows that the trade community already possess the tools to manage the growing issue-area of trade and security. The unanswered question is whether WTO members see value in discussing security at the WTO.