Raghavan, Chakravarthi. "South-North Relations and the Uruguay Round," in Recolonisation: GATT, the Uruguay Round and the Third World. London: Zed Books Ltd, 1990. pp. 32-48.

The central premise of this essay is that the Uruguay Round (UR) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) overprivileges industrialised countries and compromises biodiversity and environmental stability. Raghavan argues that there is a dynamic, contradictory tension between GATT and sustainable development. The UR brings services under the GATT umbrella, "modernises" its terms for the twenty-first century, and secures U.S. hegemony as the "dominant centre in the capitalist world" (37) by tailoring the new parts of the agreement to meet its needs as its industrial base shrinks and is replaced by an emerging service sector.

Raghavan sees in industrial countries’ bids to secure new markets in less industrialised countries through GATT a neo-mercantilism which is rooted in the historical project of colonisation and non-reciprocal "trade" with third world nations that began over three hundred years ago. The UR developments will "curb the right of governments to intervene in the economy for the benefit of their people while expanding the ‘space’ for TNCs" (60). The current drive by the United States and other industrialised countries to redefine property and implement retaliatory trade practices is just more efficient "gunboat diplomacy".

The new articles presented at the UR were introduced to promote the maximum freedom for transnational corporations world-wide. They compromise the ability of third world governments to regulate foreign direct investment, and impose Western-biased intellectual property rights, both of which are direct attacks on national sovereignty, rolling the third world back to the colonial era.

See also IPR info sheet No. 2.

Raghavan, Chakravarthi. "What Needs to Be Done," in Recolonisation: GATT, the Uruguay Round and the Third World. London: Zed Books Ltd, 1990. pp. 294-309.

This essay presents Chakravarthi Raghavan’s call for unity among third world nations in response to the increasingly unified onslaught from Northern industrialised nations. The role of non-governmental organisations is pivotal in this struggle and they are charged with the responsibility of pressuring their governments to unite, not in isolated "special interest" blocs but in a unified front. Steps in this direction include the fifteen country "Summit level group for South-South consultation and cooperation" (September 1989) and the March 1990 meeting of third world trade officials in New Delhi.

Some of the key issues that need addressing include challenging the so-called "green room" isolation tactics of trade negotiation and striving towards transparent and open participation. Also encouraged is more vocal participation at GATT meetings and mutual political support in this arena. Advice is given against accepting short-term solutions, due to the long term negative consequences that generally come with them. Raghavan argues that third world solidarity could have blocked many of the changes that took place at the Uruguay Round of GATT; instead internal division has led to a grave worsening of the collective lot of less industrialised countries. Third world countries must take a page out of their own history books, honour their previous struggles and "begin actions to safeguard their own future and destinies" (309).

See also Shiva, "Biotechnology and the Environment."