Abstract (EN)

In the last two decades, international trade agreements havedriven growing economic integration increasingly inclusive of social andlabour provisions. This article investigates the link between labourclauses in trade agreements and national labour standards, comparingtheir effects on the ratification of ILO conventions and worker rightspractices. An empirical estimation using panel data for 141 countriesfrom 1980 to 2013 suggests that labour provisions have not played asignificant role in the improvement of labour practices, and that theireffect has been limited to the ratification of ILO conventions. This gaphighlights the importance of mechanisms that guarantee theenforceability of labour clauses included in trade agreements.