WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION REFORM: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 120-126
Author(s):  
E. A. LUKASHIK ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World Trade Organization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Doha Round ◽  
Trading System ◽  
Changing Trends ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
The Status ◽  
New Challenges

The world trade organization (WTO) has faced a number of challenges related to changing trends in the global trading system. In addition to the differences that have accumulated during the Doha round of trade negotiations, new issues need to be discussed, such as the regulation of e-Commerce, the revision of intellectual property rules, the need to tighten the rules on subsidies and public procurement, and improving the effectiveness of the Appeals body. Due to the rapid economic growth of a number of developing countries, it is necessary to redistribute the benefits provided and review the status of the organization's member countries. Outdated WTO rules do not meet the new challenges of the 21st century. The main problems faced by WTO members are analyzed, the positions of developed and developing countries are highlighted, and ways to resolve the organization's crisis are presented.

scholarly journals Agriculture and developing countries in the new round of negotiations within WTO

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 53-70
Author(s):  
Zora Prekajac
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World Trade Organization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Uruguay Round ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Trading System ◽  
Multilateral Trade ◽  
Multilateral Trading System ◽  
Agreement On Agriculture

The Ministerial Conference held in Doha (Qatar) launched a new round of multilateral trade negotiations in World Trade Organization. It is called the development round because the interests and needs of developing countries are in the focus of negotiations. One of the most important (and controversial) questions is the liberalization of international trade in agricultural products. The beginning of that process was the conclusion of the Agreement on agriculture during the Uruguay Round which was followed by the negotiations initiated in 2000. The negotiations are supposed to finish until the end of the year 2006. Analyzing the recent results of negotiations, we can conclude that a lot of questions are not harmonized and that in front of the negotiators is a very difficult and complex task to overcome the existing differences and find compromise solutions. The results of the Doha negotiations (including agriculture) are very important for the future of the multilateral trading system.

A Decade of the World Trade Organization and the Trade Performance of Muslim Countries

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-44
Author(s):  
Ruzita Mohd. Amin
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World Trade Organization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Muslim Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Merchandise Trade ◽  
Wto Agreements

The World Trade Organization (WTO), established on 1 January 1995 as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), has played an important role in promoting global free trade. The implementation of its agreements, however, has not been smooth and easy. In fact this has been particularly difficult for developing countries, since they are expected to be on a level playing field with the developed countries. After more than a decade of existence, it is worth looking at the WTO’s impact on developing countries, particularly Muslim countries. This paper focuses mainly on the performance of merchandise trade of Muslim countries after they joined the WTO. I first analyze their participation in world merchandise trade and highlight their trade characteristics in general. This is then followed by a short discussion on the implications of WTO agreements on Muslim countries and some recommendations on how to face this challenge.

Does the WTO Need to Change?

2010 ◽  
Vol 109 (730) ◽  
pp. 355-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Schott
Keyword(s):  
World Trade Organization ◽  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
Doha Round ◽  
The World

The World Trade Organization is in disrepair. To fix it, and thereby boost global trade liberalization, nations must first successfully conclude the Doha Round of talks.

Agriculture: Food Security and Trade Liberalization

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Tangermann
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
International Markets ◽  
Doha Round ◽  
Domestic Support ◽  
Agreement On Agriculture

In the WTO's Doha Round, agriculture is again at center stage, even though it accounts for no more than a small and declining share of world trade. The Agreement on Agriculture concluded in the Uruguay Round was a huge step forward in the GATT's dealings with agriculture. But more needs to be done. In recent years, agricultural support in several developing countries has increased while developed countries have reformed their farm policies and improved market orientation. One specific problem in the Doha Round negotiations on agriculture is the treatment of public stockholding for food security purposes. A possible solution could come through an amendment of the rules for measuring domestic support, by agreeing that procurement prices below prices prevailing on international markets are not considered "administered prices".

Doha Development Round

2014 ◽  
pp. 74-83
Author(s):  
Badar Iqbal ◽  
Munir Hasan
Keyword(s):  
World Trade Organization ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Trade Negotiations ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
New Regionalism ◽  
Trading System ◽  
Multilateral Trading System ◽  
The Future

More than 11 years have passed and Doha Development Round (DDR) has been in the doldrums, having full uncertainties that may result in closure. Trade negotiations are at a standstill, resulting in revivalism of trade protectionism in the name of “new regionalism” or preferential agreements (India-Japan, India-EU). This would lead to dismantling multilateral trading system for which World Trade Organization was created in January 1995. It is vital to protect and preserve the gains of the WTO in a variety of related areas. Therefore, the success of a multilateral trading system is imperative, and this could only be possible when DDR is successful and revivalism takes place. If impasse is continued, the concept and practices of free trade would be transformed into trade protectionism in the name of new regionalism. If it happens, then the future of global trade is uncertain and there would be enormous loss of potential and opportunities of creation of trade, and no country could afford it. Doha is stuck. Where do we go from here? The present chapter analyses the issues relating to the closure vs. success of the DDR. Every effort must be made to keep it alive both in the interest of mankind and the globe. If in 12th round, nothing concrete comes up, then the member countries are thinking and planning to replace it by Global Recovery Round (GRR), which is becoming more significant to deal with. Hence, this chapter attempts to examine the three options, namely closure, revival, and replace.

Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows in a Data-Driven World: How WTO Law Can Contribute

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-416
Author(s):  
Andrew D Mitchell ◽  
Neha Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World Trade Organization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Trade Agreements ◽  
Preferential Trade Agreements ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Data Flows ◽  
The World

Abstract While the free cross-border movement of data is essential to many aspects of international trade, several countries have imposed restrictions on these data flows. The pre-internet rules of the World Trade Organization (`WTO') discipline some of these restrictions, but they are insufficient. Unfortunately, so are the electronic commerce chapters in modern preferential trade agreements. This article argues that reformed WTO rules, which take account of the policy challenges of the data-driven economy, are required. These reforms would facilitate internet openness while ensuring consumer and business trust, promoting digital inclusion of developing countries, and incorporating clear exceptions for legitimate domestic policies.

The Have Nots Have It: Triumph Of Developing Countries At The World Trade OrganizationMeeting In Geneva

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
RamMohan R. Yallapragada ◽  
Ron M. Sardessai ◽  
Madhu R. Paruchuri
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
World Trade Organization ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Export Subsidies ◽  
G 21 ◽  
The World ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Farm Subsidies ◽  
The Eu

In July 2004, 147 World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries met in Geneva where the developed countries agreed to cut back and eventually eliminate an estimated $350 billion of their farm and export subsidies. The accord was hammered out by five WTO members including India and Brazil and submitted to the WTOs plenary session where it was finally ratified on July 31, 2004. The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization held in Cancun in September 2003 collapsed from inside as internal squabbles and irreconcilable philosophical differences developed between the developed countries and the developing countries. The WTO, which started with noble objectives of raising the global standards of living through international trade agreements and cooperation among the WTO member countries, appeared to be teetering on the verge of a complete collapse. Over the past decade, through five ministerial conferences, the WTO member countries gradually got polarized into two main blocks, the haves and the have nots, the developed countries and the still developing countries respectively. One of the important items of contention was the issue of reduction and elimination of the huge farm subsidies in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US). At the 2003 WTO conference in Cancun, 21 of the developing countries formed a group, known as G-21 initiated under the leadership of Brazil and India, and insisted on discussions for elimination of the farm subsidies of the EU-US combine. The EU and US governments give billions of dollars worth of agricultural and export subsidies annually to their farmers that allow them to have a competitive advantage in international markets in effect preventing agricultural producers in developing countries from having access to global markets. The EU delegates insisted that the four Singapore issues must be dealt with first before including any discussions on the issues of farm subsidies on the agenda. The G-21 over night swelled into G-70. The developing countries refused to be pushed into a corner and have proved that they are now a force to reckon with. The WTO Cancun conference came to a dramatic end without any agreement, leaving the negotiations in a deadlock. At the historic July 2004 WTO negotiations in Geneva, an accord has been reached under which the developed countries agreed to reduce and eventually eliminate their export and farm subsidies. The developing countries also agreed to lower their tariffs on imports from EU-US and other developed countries. The accord is expected to pave the way for the resumption of the WTO Doha Round of multilateral negotiations to liberalize world trade.

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