The WTO Doha Round

This guide provides essential background on the Doha Development Round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It is intended as an introduction to the issues for a general development audience, but also provides a selection of further links and reading that might be of interest for a more specialised audience.

What is the Doha Round?

Cocoa pods The World Trade Organisation (WTO) was launched in 1995. Since then five Ministerial conferences have been held. The Doha Ministerial was marked by the concern that the multilateral trading system should benefit the developing countries that constitute over three quarters of WTO members. More...

The Doha Round and agriculture

Jack fruit Even though agricultural trade is marginal in Europe and the USA, the sector is heavily subsidised and protected in both of these industrialised trade giants. At the same time, most developing countries depend on agriculture as a provider of livelihoods. As a result, the poorest group of developing countries in the Doha Development Round, the G90, is pushing hard to make sure their interests are recognised. More...

Doha and developing countries

Of 132 countries in the WTO, 103 are classified as developing or least developed.Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) allows for developed countries to treat developing countries more favourably than other WTO members, and for flexibility in the rate at which developing countries are expected to liberalise. The most significant expression of SDT is non-reciprocal Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs). More...

Doha myths and misunderstandings

incense sticks A plethora of terminologies and acronyms mark WTO policy negotiations. Not only are these confusing, but policy-makers often profit from the lack of clarity, relying on the fact that people may think policy shifts are far more significant than they are in reality. More...