The ITO Charter Model for “Sustainable Development”: A framework for a self-evolving transnational economic order by “middle powers”

本稿は、米EUといった大国が、外国において行われている経済活動について、環境保護、労働者保護その他の点で問題があるとして、産品の輸出その他自国内における経済活動を制限し、または利益の供与を拒否するといった、広義のPPM措置を採用する例が増加している現状に鑑み、オルタナティブを提案するものである。こうした動きは、「持続可能な発展」の実現に必要な環境保護等の水準向上につながる可能性があるが、大国が自国のために設計した基準を中小国に押し付けることによって不効率を生じさせる可能性が高い。さらに、自国の経済的優位性を利用できる大国と異なり、中小国はPPM措置を採用するメリットがない。この点、GATTの前身として交渉・合意されたITO憲章は、結局発効しなかったが、各加盟国がその領域内における労働者保護、経済開発等について第一次的責任を負い、他の加盟国やITOなどの国際機関がこれを支援する体制を想定していた。加盟国の一方的対抗措置であるPPM措置は禁止され、他の加盟国の国内政策に対する不服は、加盟国全体を代表する政治的機関において排他的に取り扱われ、新たなルール形成に役立てられることが想定されていた。かかるITO憲章モデルは、「持続可能な発展」を追求する「ミドルパワー」の国際経済体制として検討し得るのでないか。

This paper proposes an alternative framework for the international economy, based on the concern that superpowers such as the United States and the EU have increasingly adopted so-called production process and method (PPM) measures, which restrict or deny benefits to imports or other economic activities in their territory because of environmental protection, labor protection, and other non-product-related aspects of production or other economic activities in any foreign jurisdiction. While these measures may contribute to improvement in the level of environmental protection, and so on, which is necessary to achieve “sustainable development,” they would generate inefficiency by forcing middle or small countries to adopt standards designed by superpowers for their own economies. Furthermore, middle or small countries see no merit in allowing PPM measures because their economic power is insufficient to effectuate their own PPM measures, unlike superpowers. This article analyzes the ITO Charter, which was negotiated and agreed upon as the predecessor to the GATT but did not come into force, and finds that it was intended to establish a framework whereunder each Member undertakes the primary responsibility for labor protection, economic development, and other matters within its own territory, and other Members and the ITO and other international organizations assist Members’ efforts. Accordingly, the Charter contemplates that any complaint about other Members’ domestic policies be exclusively addressed by a political organ of the ITO, which represents all Members, thus enabling the ITO to use it for rulemaking as well, while prohibiting any PPM measures taken as unilateral countermeasures. This framework should be considered as “the ITO Charter model” for the international economic order for the ”sustainable development” by “middle powers.”