Doha: Is It Really a Development Round?

Publication Date: May 2002

Publisher: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Author(s): Kamal Malhotra

Research Area: Trade

Type: Brief

Abstract:

The new World Trade Organization negotiations launched in November 2001 have been widely heralded as a "development round," but a closer look at the results of the Doha Ministerial reveals a less optimistic picture. While developing countries scored a major political victory on intellectual property rights and public health, they still face major uphill battles against industrialized countries on issues such as governance and transparency, market access in agriculture, anti-dumping, implementation of Uruguay Round commitments on textiles and on the inclusion of additional issues of which they are not demandeurs. In fact, the most important phenomenon to emerge at Doha is not to be found in the ministerial declaration but in the effective arguments and negotiation strategies brought to bear by organized and mobilized groups of developing countries. Only by increasing the effectiveness of such strategies and further strengthening their collective resolve will developing countries secure negotiated outcomes that really address their development needs.