The World Trade Organisation and sustainable development: a guide to the debate

This briefing paper provides a concise background to the main issues at stake in the debate around the WTO system and sustainable development. It considers a series of ‘frequently asked questions’ like:

• is the WTO dominated by big business?
• are developing countries’ needs ignored in the WTO?
• does the WTO force developing countries to liberalise their markets before they are ready?
• will the GATS force developing countries to privatise public services?
• do WTO rules force down labour standards?
• do WTO rules prevent countries from adopting high national environmental standards, or weaken their implementation?
• will WTO agreements override environmental agreements, for example over trade in GM products?
• do WTO rules disallow certification and labelling schemes for sustainable products?
• will WTO rules prevent action being taken against imports of illegal timber?
• do WTO rules prevent countries from adopting high animal welfare standards?
• will liberalisation of trade in agriculture be good or bad for sustainable environment?
• do WTO rules prevent consumers from choosing locally produced food?

The paper concludes that there is no doubt that international trade can play a vital role in promoting sustainable development across the world even though its inter-relationship with the different pillars of sustainable development – economic, environmental and social – is both complex and different in each case. There is equally little doubt that current trade rules need to be reformed to better support environmental and developmental objectives. But whether the Doha ‘Development Round’ will do this remains an open question.