The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization
The author analyzes how changes in thinking about the role trade plays in economic development have been reflected in provisions affecting developing countries in the GATT and the WTO. He focuses on the provisions calling for the special and differ...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2000/07/443620/role-special-differential-treatment-developing-countries-gatt-world-trade-organization http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19819 |
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okr-10986-19819 |
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| recordtype |
oai_dc |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English en_US |
| topic |
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURE AVERAGE TRADE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS BILATERAL TRADE CAPITAL GOODS COMMODITY EXPORTERS COMPETITIVENESS CONCEPTUAL BASIS CONCESSIONS CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS COUNTRY MARKETS CUSTOMS UNIONS CUSTOMS VALUATION DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY DISPUTE SETTLEMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC RESEARCH EXCHANGE CONTROLS EXPORT STRUCTURE EXPORT SUBSIDIES EXPORTERS EXPORTS EXTERNAL IMBALANCES EXTERNAL SHOCKS FOREIGN EXCHANGE FREE ACCESS FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AREAS HIGH TRADE BARRIERS IMPACT OF TRADE IMPORTS IMPROVED ACCESS INCOME INCOME GROWTH INEFFICIENCY INTERMEDIATE INPUTS INTERNATIONAL TRADE INTERNATIONAL TRADE POLICIES LDCS LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES LIVING STANDARDS LONG TERM MARKET ACCESS METALS MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS MULTILATERAL TRADE OPEN TRADE REGIMES PER CAPITA INCOME POLICY INSTRUMENTS POLICY MAKERS POLICY RESEARCH PREFERENTIAL ACCESS PREFERENTIAL MARGIN PREFERENTIAL MARKET ACCESS PREFERENTIAL TARIFF PREFERENTIAL TRADE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT PRICE FLUCTUATIONS PRIMARY PRODUCTS PRODUCERS PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS REAL INCOME RECIPROCAL BASIS RECIPROCITY REDUCTION IN TARIFFS RELATIVE IMPORTANCE RELATIVE PRICES RURAL POVERTY SHORT TERM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TARIFF BARRIERS TARIFF CONCESSIONS TARIFF PREFERENCES TARIFF RATE TARIFF REDUCTION TARIFF REDUCTIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TERMS OF TRADE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE DISPUTE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS TRADE OBJECTIVES TRADE POLICIES TRADE POLICY TRADE POLICY INSTRUMENTS TRADE PREFERENCES TRADE REGIME TRADE REGIMES TRADE RESTRICTIONS URUGUAY ROUND VOLUNTARY EXPORT RESTRAINTS WORLD TRADE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WORLD TRADING SYSTEM WTO |
| spellingShingle |
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURE AVERAGE TRADE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS BILATERAL TRADE CAPITAL GOODS COMMODITY EXPORTERS COMPETITIVENESS CONCEPTUAL BASIS CONCESSIONS CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS COUNTRY MARKETS CUSTOMS UNIONS CUSTOMS VALUATION DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY DISPUTE SETTLEMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC RESEARCH EXCHANGE CONTROLS EXPORT STRUCTURE EXPORT SUBSIDIES EXPORTERS EXPORTS EXTERNAL IMBALANCES EXTERNAL SHOCKS FOREIGN EXCHANGE FREE ACCESS FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AREAS HIGH TRADE BARRIERS IMPACT OF TRADE IMPORTS IMPROVED ACCESS INCOME INCOME GROWTH INEFFICIENCY INTERMEDIATE INPUTS INTERNATIONAL TRADE INTERNATIONAL TRADE POLICIES LDCS LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES LIVING STANDARDS LONG TERM MARKET ACCESS METALS MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS MULTILATERAL TRADE OPEN TRADE REGIMES PER CAPITA INCOME POLICY INSTRUMENTS POLICY MAKERS POLICY RESEARCH PREFERENTIAL ACCESS PREFERENTIAL MARGIN PREFERENTIAL MARKET ACCESS PREFERENTIAL TARIFF PREFERENTIAL TRADE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT PRICE FLUCTUATIONS PRIMARY PRODUCTS PRODUCERS PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS REAL INCOME RECIPROCAL BASIS RECIPROCITY REDUCTION IN TARIFFS RELATIVE IMPORTANCE RELATIVE PRICES RURAL POVERTY SHORT TERM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TARIFF BARRIERS TARIFF CONCESSIONS TARIFF PREFERENCES TARIFF RATE TARIFF REDUCTION TARIFF REDUCTIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TERMS OF TRADE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE DISPUTE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS TRADE OBJECTIVES TRADE POLICIES TRADE POLICY TRADE POLICY INSTRUMENTS TRADE PREFERENCES TRADE REGIME TRADE REGIMES TRADE RESTRICTIONS URUGUAY ROUND VOLUNTARY EXPORT RESTRAINTS WORLD TRADE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WORLD TRADING SYSTEM WTO Michalopoulos, Constantine The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper;No. 2388 |
| description |
The author analyzes how changes in
thinking about the role trade plays in economic development
have been reflected in provisions affecting developing
countries in the GATT and the WTO. He focuses on the
provisions calling for the special and differential
treatment of developing countries. The WTO's special,
and differential treatment has been extended to include
measures of technical assistance, and extended transition
periods to enable countries to meet their commitments in new
areas agreed on in the Uruguay round of negotiations. At the
same time, many WTO provisions encourage industrial
countries to give developing countries preferential
treatment, through a variety of measures, none of them
legally enforceable. The author concludes that weaknesses in
the institutional capacity of many developing countries,
provide a conceptual basis for continuing special, and
differential treatment in the WTO, but that the benefits
should be targeted only to low-income developing countries,
and those that need help becoming integrated with the
international trading system. In addition, an effective
system of graduation, should be put in place for
higher-income developing countries. Developing countries
find it politically easier to argue, that all should be
treated the same, except for least developed countries,
although their capacities, and need for assistance differ
vastly. Industrial countries are expected to provide
special, and differential treatment, but in practice, their
commitments on market access, preferential treatment, and
technical assistance, are not enforceable. Leaving it up to
the industrial countries to decide which developing
countries get preferential treatment, invites extraneous
considerations in determining who gets how much special
treatment. Unless higher-income developing countries accept
some type of graduated differentiation in their treatment
(beyond that granted the least developed countries), there
is little prospect of implementing meaningful, legally
enforceable special, and differential treatment favoring all
developing countries under the WTO. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Michalopoulos, Constantine |
| author_facet |
Michalopoulos, Constantine |
| author_sort |
Michalopoulos, Constantine |
| title |
The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization |
| title_short |
The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization |
| title_full |
The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization |
| title_fullStr |
The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization |
| title_sort |
role of special differential treatment for developing countries in gatt and the world trade organization |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2014 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2000/07/443620/role-special-differential-treatment-developing-countries-gatt-world-trade-organization http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19819 |
| _version_ |
1764441480990031872 |
| spelling |
okr-10986-198192021-04-23T14:03:46Z The Role of Special Differential Treatment for Developing Countries in GATT and the World Trade Organization Michalopoulos, Constantine AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURE AVERAGE TRADE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS BILATERAL TRADE CAPITAL GOODS COMMODITY EXPORTERS COMPETITIVENESS CONCEPTUAL BASIS CONCESSIONS CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS COUNTRY MARKETS CUSTOMS UNIONS CUSTOMS VALUATION DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPING COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY DISPUTE SETTLEMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC RESEARCH EXCHANGE CONTROLS EXPORT STRUCTURE EXPORT SUBSIDIES EXPORTERS EXPORTS EXTERNAL IMBALANCES EXTERNAL SHOCKS FOREIGN EXCHANGE FREE ACCESS FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AREAS HIGH TRADE BARRIERS IMPACT OF TRADE IMPORTS IMPROVED ACCESS INCOME INCOME GROWTH INEFFICIENCY INTERMEDIATE INPUTS INTERNATIONAL TRADE INTERNATIONAL TRADE POLICIES LDCS LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES LIVING STANDARDS LONG TERM MARKET ACCESS METALS MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS MULTILATERAL TRADE OPEN TRADE REGIMES PER CAPITA INCOME POLICY INSTRUMENTS POLICY MAKERS POLICY RESEARCH PREFERENTIAL ACCESS PREFERENTIAL MARGIN PREFERENTIAL MARKET ACCESS PREFERENTIAL TARIFF PREFERENTIAL TRADE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT PRICE FLUCTUATIONS PRIMARY PRODUCTS PRODUCERS PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS REAL INCOME RECIPROCAL BASIS RECIPROCITY REDUCTION IN TARIFFS RELATIVE IMPORTANCE RELATIVE PRICES RURAL POVERTY SHORT TERM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TARIFF BARRIERS TARIFF CONCESSIONS TARIFF PREFERENCES TARIFF RATE TARIFF REDUCTION TARIFF REDUCTIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TERMS OF TRADE TRADE BARRIERS TRADE DISPUTE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS TRADE OBJECTIVES TRADE POLICIES TRADE POLICY TRADE POLICY INSTRUMENTS TRADE PREFERENCES TRADE REGIME TRADE REGIMES TRADE RESTRICTIONS URUGUAY ROUND VOLUNTARY EXPORT RESTRAINTS WORLD TRADE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WORLD TRADING SYSTEM WTO The author analyzes how changes in thinking about the role trade plays in economic development have been reflected in provisions affecting developing countries in the GATT and the WTO. He focuses on the provisions calling for the special and differential treatment of developing countries. The WTO's special, and differential treatment has been extended to include measures of technical assistance, and extended transition periods to enable countries to meet their commitments in new areas agreed on in the Uruguay round of negotiations. At the same time, many WTO provisions encourage industrial countries to give developing countries preferential treatment, through a variety of measures, none of them legally enforceable. The author concludes that weaknesses in the institutional capacity of many developing countries, provide a conceptual basis for continuing special, and differential treatment in the WTO, but that the benefits should be targeted only to low-income developing countries, and those that need help becoming integrated with the international trading system. In addition, an effective system of graduation, should be put in place for higher-income developing countries. Developing countries find it politically easier to argue, that all should be treated the same, except for least developed countries, although their capacities, and need for assistance differ vastly. Industrial countries are expected to provide special, and differential treatment, but in practice, their commitments on market access, preferential treatment, and technical assistance, are not enforceable. Leaving it up to the industrial countries to decide which developing countries get preferential treatment, invites extraneous considerations in determining who gets how much special treatment. Unless higher-income developing countries accept some type of graduated differentiation in their treatment (beyond that granted the least developed countries), there is little prospect of implementing meaningful, legally enforceable special, and differential treatment favoring all developing countries under the WTO. 2014-08-28T17:45:14Z 2014-08-28T17:45:14Z 2000-07 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2000/07/443620/role-special-differential-treatment-developing-countries-gatt-world-trade-organization http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19819 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 2388 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research |