Russia’s Joining the WTO — Different Approaches to Human Rights Concerns Across the Atlantic

Before Russia became a member of the World Trade Organization on 22 August 2012, Europe and the United States were expected to take different approaches to putting pressure on the country to improve its human rights record. The United States was likely to use trade, specifically the granting of permanent normal trade relations status, as an incentive. Europe, on the other hand, would count on the European Court of Human Rights to penalize human rights failings. The question was, which approach would ultimately be most successful?