The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade: Pressures and Strategies for Task Expansion

Abstract

Whatever the cynics may say, an international organisation cannot exist for any length of time without a purpose. But an international organisation may start out with one purpose and end up with another. This is the extreme case. More frequently one finds international organisations adding a number of sub-purposes to their quiver with the passage of time. Rather less frequently does one see international organisations openly abandoning an original objective: quiet relegation to a dusty shelf is the preferred method.

The author of this paper is an economist, and approaches this political science subject with a great deal of trepidation. His only excuse for having accepted this task is his knowledge of a number of facts concerning GATT arising from previous research.