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New Publication: 'An agenda for the development round of trade negotiations in the aftermath of Cancun'

14 October 2004

The report notes that the Doha Round has still not delivered on its development mandate in several respects.

In this new Commonwealth report, Professor Joseph E Stiglitz, the Nobel Laureate, and Andrew Charlton present an alternative way forward for the Doha Round of trade negotiations, approaching global issues with a fresh eye. They call for a fundamental reform of the agenda and the negotiating process, stressing that this is important if the Doha Round is to deliver on its promise to bring widespread benefits to developing countries.

The report notes that the Doha Round has still not delivered on its development mandate in several respects. There has been little progress on the issues that developing countries are interested in, particularly agriculture, labour mobility and labour-intensive manufactures and services; the new issues on the agenda primarily reflect the interests of advanced industrial nations and have been strongly opposed by many developing countries; and there has been only limited reform of the culture and procedures of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This publication proposes some principles that should motivate the negotiations. It identifies priority initiatives which would deliver significant gains to developing countries and increase global efficiency. It also recommends institutional reforms necessary to make global trade negotiations more effective and inclusive.

The report addresses questions such as: What should a development round of negotiations look like? What would an agreement based on principles of economic analysis and social justice -- not on economic power and special interests -- look like? What would an agreement that promoted fair economic development look like?

The primary principle of the Doha Round, the authors conclude, must be to ensure development in poor countries. To make this principle work, the WTO needs to identify pro-development proposals and promote them to the top of the agenda. The report observes that any agreement which differentially hurts developing countries or provides disproportionate benefits to developed countries should be presumptively viewed as unfair and regarded as being against the spirit of the development round.

The authors also analyse the need for a development round. They examine the experience of developing countries in previous trade negotiations and review some of the potential gains from further liberalisation.

Published by the Commonwealth Secretariat

ISBN: 0-85092-801-X; 120 pages; price: £10.99

HOW TO ORDER

This title can be bought online at http://www.publications.thecommonwealth.org/.

A full catalogue of Commonwealth Secretariat publications can be viewed on the website, which provides a secure online buying facility, and orders can also be made through e-mail or by post. Pre-payment is essential. Payment by sterling cheque, international money order, postal order or bank draft must accompany your order.

Payment should be in sterling, drawn on a UK bank and made out to the Commonwealth Secretariat. If you require the order form as an attachment in Word format please e-mail Rupert Jones-Parry of the Publications Section (see address below). Post and packaging charges should be added to every order in the following way: UK orders: 15 per cent of order value (minimum charge £2.00). Non-UK orders: 25 per cent of order value (minimum charge £3.50).

Send orders to: Rupert Jones-Parry, Publications Section, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, United Kingdom.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6342; Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081;

E-mail: r.jones-parry@commonwealth.int