Global Business Regulation

Across an amazing sweep of the critical areas of business regulation - from contract, intellectual property and corporations law, to trade, telecommunications, labour standards, drugs, food, transport and environment - this book confronts the question of how the regulation of business has shifted from national to global institutions. Based on interviews with 500 international leaders in business and government, this book examines the role played by global institutions such as the WTO, the OECD, IMF, Moody's and the World Bank, as well as various NGOs and significant individuals. The authors argue that effective and decent global regulation depends on the determination of individuals to engage with powerful agendas and decision-making bodies that would otherwise be dominated by concentrated economic interests. This book will become a standard reference for readers in business, law, politics and international relations. "While powerful corporations often race to the bottom in setting regulatory standards, NGOs also often prevail in ratcheting up regulatory standards. In showing how, Global Business Regulation is a guidebook for how individuals and smaller organisations can prevail over more influential corporations in the world system." "Based on interviews with 500 international leaders in business and government, this book examines the role played by global institutions such as the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, the OECD, IMF, Moodys and the World Bank, as well as various NGOs and significant individuals. Utilising 'micro - macro' theory, Braithwaite and Drahos make a landmark contribution to the theory of globalization by drawing the links between key mechanisms, actors and principles. The authors show how active world citizenship can have practical meaning. They argue that effective and decent global regulation depends on the determination of individuals to engage with powerful agendas and decision-making bodies that would otherwise be dominated by concentrated economic interests."--Jacket

How has the regulation of business shifted from national to global institutions? What are the mechanisms of globalization? Who are the key actors? What of democratic sovereignty? In which cases has globalization been successfully resisted? These questions are confronted across an amazing sweep of the critical areas of business regulation—from contract, intellectual property and corporations law, to trade, telecommunications, labor standards, drugs, food, transport and environment. This book examines the role played by global institutions such as the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, the OECD, IMF, Moodys and the World Bank, as well as various NGOs and significant individuals. Incorporating both history and analysis, Global Business Regulation will become the standard reference for readers in business, law, politics, and international relations.

Dedication Contents Abbreviations Figures and Tables Part I INTRODUCTION 1 The Historical Canvas 2 Globalization and Regulation 3 Method 4 Concepts: Mechanisms, Principles and Actors 5 Conclusions 6 The Struggle for a Sovereignty of the People Part II CASES 7 Property and Contract 8 Financial Regulation 9 Corporations and Securities 10 Trade and Competition 11 Labour Standards 12 The Environment 13 Nuclear Energy 14 Telecommunications 15 Drugs 16 Food 17 Sea Transport 18 Road Transport 19 Air Transport Part III ANALYSIS 20 Contests of Actors 21 Contests of Principles 22 Mechanisms of Globalization 23 Regulatory Webs and Globalization Sequences 24 Forum-shifting and Contests of Principles 25 Modelling, Globalization and the Politics of Empowerment 26 A Political Program for Sovereignty over Global Regulation Acknowledgments Bibliography Index Across a broad sweep of the critical areas of business regulation - from contract, intellectual property and corporations law, to trade, telecommunications, labour standards, drugs, food, transport and environment - this book confronts the question of how the regulation of business has shifted from national to global institutions. Based on interviews with 500 international leaders in business and government, it examines the role played by global institutions such as the WTO, the OECD, IMF, Moodys and the World Bank, as well as various NGOs and significant individuals. The authors argue that effective and decent global regulation depends on the determination of individuals to engage with powerful agendas and decision-making bodies that would otherwise be dominated by concentrated economic interests How has the regulation of business shifted from national to global institutions? What are the mechanisms of globalization? These questions are confronted across an amazing sweep of the critical areas of business regulation. 1 halftone. 14 line diagrams. 6 tables. John Braithwaite, Peter Drahos. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 640-671) And Index.