Negotiating Strategies
Strengthening the WTO Rulemaking Function Debra Steger
T
he World Trade Organization (WTO) is a relatively new international organization, established only 25 years ago, yet it has a pedigree reaching back to the end of World War II. While it appeared to have a short honeymoon in its first few years, the rapid expansion of its membership, the accession of China and the launch of the Doha Development Round in 2001 have proved serious challenges for the governance of the WTO. This essay explores the following questions: Does the WTO have the organizational structures and underpinnings to allow it to survive in the current world economy, characterized by rising populism, increasing protectionism and rapidly changing political and economic dynamics? Can the WTO be strengthened to enable multilateralism to thrive in the future? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the decision-making and rulemaking procedures in the WTO, and how can they be improved? Does the WTO need institutional reform to its governance structures to improve negotiations and rulemaking?
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