This book addresses the controversial call for international labor standards, seeking to productively further this debate by considering the economic implications and history of these standards. A result of an initiative by Professor Kaushik Basu in his capacity as member of the Expert Group of Development Issues (EGDI) sponsored by the Swedish Foreign Ministry, the contributions are based on discussions at a seminar held in Stockholm in August 2001. They focus on four central questions:

• How did the labor standards movement evolve in the past, and what can we learn from its history?
  
• What do contemporary economic theories tell us about the possible impact of international labor standards?
  
• What solid empirical evidence do economists have about the incidence, causes and effects of child labor?
  
• What kind of global institutions do we have or need in order to enforce any agreement on labor standards, and what role should the ILO and WTO play?

Compiling the best research in the field, this book provides a solid basis for policy decisions, while also serving as a challenging text for students in trade, development, and labor economics.