A Holistic Analysis of the Role of Canada in the EU’s Socialized Constitutionalization of the WTO

Canada and the EU are traditional allies in promoting the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). As many scholars note, the WTO is an indispensable forum for realizing these laudable goals, for instance, the goal 13 fighting against climate change, for the WTO is nearly the only international organisation that has ability to enforce the implementation of these 17 SDGs, relying on its sound dispute settlement body and considerable economic interest associated with itself. Nevertheless, the WTO is used to give priority to economic issues rather than environmental issues and human rights-based issues over decades. From a European perspective, the means that is able to change the current WTO into a sustainable trade organisation is socialised constitutionalization of the WTO. Despite a similar constitutional tradition as that of the EU, is Canada going to support the EU’s proposal due to its national interest? If so, how, and to what extent, Canada can play a role in the socialised constitutionalization of the WTO?

Faculty Supervisor:

Jie Jiao

Student:

Partner:

Université de Lausanne

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Commercial Services; Public Service, Policy, and Governance; Sustainability & the Environment

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: