En este trabajo se examinan las principales obligaciones que emanan de la Organización Mundial de Comercio y sus repercusiones para el diseño de una política comercial. En primer lugar se analizan el contenido y los problemas que plantea el sistema de comercio para poner de relieve cómo, a medida que se amplia el número de cuestiones consideradas y se incorpora al escrutinio internacional un número cada vez mayor de políticas, debe reajustarse cada vez con mayor precisión el delicado enlace entre la política y la negociación comerciales. Se sostiene que los compromisos contraídos en el marco d…
Diez años atrás, los países miembros del Mercado Común Centroamericano (Costa Rica, el Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua); comenzaron a abandonar la política de desarrollo hacia adentro que habían aplicado durante decenios. Actualmente están estimulando las exportaciones no tradicionales mediante la reducción de las barreras arancelarias, la unificación del tipo de cambio y el acceso de los exportadores a los bienes intermedios y de capital a precios internacionales. Algunos gobiernos, además, han otorgado subsidios directos en la forma de créditos tributarios por los biene…
President Cardoso delivered this address at the First Regional Conference in Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, held in Sao Paulo from 6 to 9 April 1997. On that occasion President Cardoso reviewed the issues examined at the World Summit, with special emphasis on poverty and the search for an environmentally sound, democratic form of development that will lead to a greater degree of social equity. Within this context, he discussed the relationship between economic and social factors, devoting particular attention to State reform, education, competitiveness and job creation. …
Non-agricultural rural employment accounts for an increasing proportion of total rural employment in Latin America. Its potential for stimulating rural development has been noted, but it has also been analysed as a focal point of poverty. This article considers the magnitude and composition of this employment in some of the Central American countries and examines the conditions under which non-agricultural activities may help to improve rural employment and income. It is noted that non-agricultural rural employment is heterogeneous and different types of employment arise in response to differe…
Within Latin America, Uruguay stands out by its equalitarian income distribution, the solidity of its democratic institutions, and its level of social integration. Over the last decade, however, there have been signs of cracks in this desirable image which adversely affect the harmony of social relations. These cracks take the form of marginal behaviour: i.e., types of behaviour which are not governed by socially accepted patterns. In this study, the explanation for these types of behaviour has been sought in the divergences between cultural goals, the structures of opportunities for attaining…
This study looks at the main obligations arising from the World Trade Organization (WTO); and their repercussions on the design of trade policy. First of all, the study analyses the content of the world trade system and the problems it raises, in order to highlight the fact that, as the number of questions considered expands and an ever-increasing number of policies are brought under international scrutiny, the delicate balance between trade policy and negotiations must be adjusted more and more exactly. It is suggested that the commitments entered into within the context of the WTO could indi…
This study deals with the question of macroeconomic coordination in the context of MERCOSUR, analysing the contribution that different types of nominal anchors (monetary and exchange-rate); could make to the achievement of convergence of nominal indicators and sustained economic growth. The possible gains in terms of well-being associated with policy coordination are explored, in order to make a rational evaluation of the proposals calling for greater monetary coordination. An analysis is made of the problem of selecting the nominal anchor most suitable for serving as the basis for cooperative…
Ten years ago the member countries of the Central American Common Market (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua); began to abandon the inward-oriented development policy they had been applying for decades. They are now stimulating non-traditional exports by lowering tariff barriers, unifying exchange rates, and giving exporters access to intermediate and capital goods at international prices. Some governments have also granted direct subsidies in the form of tax credits for goods exported outside Central America. This article reviews these policies and analyses…