As we have seen, globalization is the economic integration of trade, production and finance on a world scale. However, the process of globalization is not unfettered; it is regulated, by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO has an immense impact on our lives, but it is little known, and little understood. Moreover, given that there has been a slowdown in globalization since 2008 it is important to understand how governments have responded. Finally, given the role of globalization in the contemporary world, we need to ask: has globalization contributed to global poverty and human inequality? 

In Part 4 of this Episode evaluate why countries enter into international trade and investment agreements, and whether these agreements are associated with rising human inequality.