Suchergebnisse

The world economy has undergone tremendous change during the past decade, with a range of emerging issues influencing global trade and coming to the fore in discussions among policy-makers and trade negotiators. Whether these issues will or should be addressed within the multilateral context as part of a trade agenda is still being debated, but inevitably countries need to engage with these policy issues and the implications for their economies. In light of this changing international landscape, small developing countries need special support to effectively participate in the ongoing discussions on emerging issues in the various international bodies, including the WTO. This publication seeks to inform and help Commonwealth small developing countries adapt to emerging issues, such as climate change, e-commerce, the implementation agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the new role of Micro, Small, and Medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and GVCs within global trade. Finally, it also addresses the systemic issues that impact the participation of these countries in the multilateral trading system, as well as approaches to advance the WTO negotiations.--

As the old adage goes: never let a good crisis go to waste. Many policy-makers across the world - representing individual countries and international organisations - deserve credit for having launched a serious debate about reforming the WTO, in light of the many serious challenges the system faces today. This reform debate has been a long time coming. But in its current state, the conversation remains largely inward-looking, and thus fundamentally inadequate. The problems confronting trade multilateralism have deep roots; technocratic fixes within the WTO, while important, can play only a small part in resolving them. A fundamental rethinking and renegotiation on the narratives that underpin globalisation is necessary if we are to address the crisis trade multilateralism faces today. This article offers some concrete recommendations to facilitate this.

1. Small States in the Multilateral Trading System: An Overview . - 2. Systemic Issues for the Commonwealth Small States in the Functioning of the World Trade Organization: Options and Proposals. - 3. Commonwealth Small States and Least-developed Countries in World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement. - 4. What Do Small and Poor Developing Countries Need from the Multilateral Trading System?. - 5. Building Trade Capacity of Small States: Strategic Approaches to Aid for Trade. - 6. Small States' Services Trade: Enhancing Participation in the Multilateral Trading System and Beyond. - Annex: List of 31 Commonwealth Small States