Social Regionalism in Better Work Haiti

Abstract

This article affirms that emerging frameworks on social regionalism provide a normative basis through which to assess whether experimentalist transnational regulatory frameworks on trade-labour governance enhance counter-hegemonic approaches to development. First, this article briefly presents a theorization of social regionalism. Second, it turns to the specifics of the Better Factories Cambodia and Better Work preferential trading arrangements, with attention to the context and biannual reports emerging from Better Work Haiti. Its core contention is that the initiative constitutes a tentative, limited but promising example of an emergent social regionalism. It considers that a dialogic space at the international level may offer an important means through which to overcome seemingly intractable, sector-specific, transnational collective action challenges at the interface of trade and labour law.

Keywords: international labour law, trade regulation, transnational law, law and development