World Trade Organization. (c1998)

Abstract

The global economy is nowadays undergoing a profound change. Countries all over the world are privatizing their public sectors, reforming their economies and perhaps, most importantly, liberalizing their trade. In line with this trend toward freer markets and freer trade, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was the keystone of the post-world war II international trading system, was replaced by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has an even more ambitious agenda for liberalizing trade and indeed integrating, virtually all the local economies into one essentially capitalistic global economy.

Countries, all over the world, including Lebanon, are, nowadays, concerned with the issue of joining the WTO. Thus, the idea of undertaking a study on Lebanon's accession to the WTO came as a result of the importance and significance of this topic. In Lebanon, little is known about the WTO and its agreements. Many seminars and conferences have been held on the subject have helped heighten public awareness about the WTO and the advantages and disadvantages that may results from Lebanon's accession to this international organization.

In this thesis, I examine the steps adopted by Lebanon to formally acceed to the WTO. The thesis also examines the implications of the WTO provisions on Lebanon, as well as the role of the Lebanese Government in preparing Lebanon to join the WTO and be part of the international liberal trade system.

Whether Lebanon, will be able to join the WTO, at a future date, will heavily depend on the steps to be undertaken by the Lebanese authorities to prepare the country for the challenges that lie ahead given the trend towards greater economic integration.