Trade, Labour and Sustainable Development

Examining the relationship between trade and labour regulation in light of the pressing need to promote sustainable development, Tonia Novitz interrogates how international legal architecture could be reformed so that no one in the world of work gets left behind. She highlights the dangers of pursuing labour and environmental issues on parallel tracks without recognising how they interact, ultimately arguing for the crafting of the content and application of trade rules through participatory processes, which involve the inclusive representation of all sectors of the labour market and all parts of the world.

This timely book explores the potential promise of economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability, alongside the concrete limitations evident at the International Labour Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization. The author interrogates the capacity for regional trade arrangements to operate in innovative ways, considering the European Union (EU) as a case study. Novitz further considers how corporate governance could be regulated to promote sustainable development in trade supply chains.

Expansive in scope, this book will be a vital read for scholars and students in the fields of labour, trade, company and EU law, as well as politics and international relations. It will also assist policy makers and officials connected to international organisations and regional trade institutions.