THE ABORTIVE CHARTER FOR AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE ORGANIZATION

Abstract

Two years following the creation of the Havana Charter for an International Trade Organization, which was prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment, it has been ratified by only one of fifty-three signatories. The author feels it can be written off as a notable failure and, in light of this conclusion, he considers the possible reasons for its failure to commend itself to the international community, particularly the way in which the Charter was prepared, the length of time that preparation took and its legal nature, especially the nature of sanctions for non-observance.