WTO

SC Working Lunch, March 2019

Title: Working Lunch Meeting on E-Commerce

Date: Friday, 15th March, 2019, 12:00 – 14:45

Venue: The South Centre

Organizers: The South Centre

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Policy Brief 58, March 2019

Why the US Proposals on Development will Affect all Developing Countries and Undermine WTO

By Aileen Kwa and Peter Lunenborg

US submitted two highly problematic proposals to the WTO in January and February 2019, undermining the place of Special and Differential Treatment (S&D) for developing countries at the WTO. In the first paper (WT/GC/757), US criticises the practice of self-declared development status by developing countries arguing that the North-South construct no longer makes sense due to “great development strides”. The second paper (WT/GC/764) – a proposed Decision for the General Council – provides a way to operationalise what was in the first paper. It gave criteria that would exclude 34 Members or 53.6 percent of global population from S&D treatment in “current and future WTO negotiations”. This fundamentally changes S&D from an unconditional right for all developing countries to a concession that may or may not be provided. Even for those developing countries that are not part of the 34 excluded Members, the US notes that in sector-specific negotiations, other Members could also be “ineligible for special and differential treatment.” This paper critiques the US approach on Special and Differential Treatment and concludes that these papers by the US cannot be the basis for any further discussions. All developing countries must be able to decide the pace of their adjustment to trade rules.

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SC Working Lunch, February 2019

Title: US proposal on Special and Differential Treatment (WT/GC/W/764)

Date: Tuesday, 19th February, 2019, 13:00 – 15:00

Venue: South Centre, Geneva

Organizers: The South Centre

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SC Working Lunch, February 2019

Title: Working Lunch Meeting on US’ proposal on ‘AN UNDIFFERENTIATED WTO’

Date: Monday, 11th February, 2019, 13:00 – 15:00

Venue: South Centre, Geneva

Organizers: The South Centre

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Analysis of the US Proposal (WT/GC/W/764), 25 February 2019

WHY THE US PROPOSAL (WT/GC/W/764) WILL AFFECT ALL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND UNDERMINE THE MULTILATERAL SYSTEM

US’ recent submissions to the WTO attempt to fundamentally change the concept of Special and Differential Treatment (S&D) at the WTO from an unconditional right for all developing countries to conditioned concessions available to only a few. This will affect developing countries and undermine the multilateral trading system!

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