It has become a clichÈ that we live in an interconnected world, but clichÈ or not, globalization in
its many and complex dimensions is one of the defining facets of our times. To make economic
globalization work smoothly, sovereign countries need a rules-based trading system sustained
with transparency and clarity through multilateral institutions such as the WTO. Since much of
the world is impoverished, rules of global trade must work as effectively for the poor as the rich,
if the system is to be credible. One can hardly overstate how high the stakes are, that it do so.