ODI On... The Seventh Session of the WTO Ministerial

30 November - 3 December 2009

ODI prepared a set of papers and blogs for the World Trade Organisation Ministerial; discussing whether or not to continue the Doha trade round, the potential rise of protectionism, and the relationship between trade and climate change. In addition, three ODI-hosted side events in Geneva looked at many of the same issues.

Outputs

Overview

Outputs

Development, trade and carbon reduction: designing coexistence to promote development

Publication - Discussion papers - 10 February 2010

ODI Working Papers 315

Jodie Keane, James MacGregor, Sheila Page, Leo Peskett and Vera Thorstensen

This paper explores how developing country exporters could meet additional costs associated with climate change, including aid, new markets in carbon reduction commitments, and reconciling the differences between the world trading system and the international conventions on climate change.

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A one-star conference

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 4 December 2009

Some conferences now openly advertise themselves as for networking (with the sessions only a minor distraction). From that point of view, the WTO’s 7th Ministerial was a partial success. Only partial because too many potential delegates and observers didn’t realise that this was the purpose, and simply decided that the official programme wasn’t worth a detour.

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Latin America and the WTO: current and future scenarios

Event - Public event - 2 December 2009 16:15 - 18:15 (GMT+00)

This event will bring together analysis from Latin American experts. Spurred by a presentation by Dr. Pablo Heidrich, the discussion should stimulate concrete propositions on ways to strengthen Latin American strategies in the multilateral trading system.

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Trade and climate change regimes: a course for co-existence

Event - Public event - 2 December 2009 10:30 - 12:30 (GMT+00)

This event will discuss how to reconcile the different emphases in trade and climate change negotiations and how the trade and climate change regimes can adjust their rules to accommodate each other.

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Should we bring Doha to closure?

Event - Public event - 1 December 2009 10:30 - 12:30 (GMT+00)

Is leaving the Doha Development Agenda in abeyance and the WTO in isolation the best policy strategy in the current economic environment? Isn’t one of the central lessons of the recent financial and economic crisis that multilateral cooperation and responsive international institutions and regulatory settings, are central to economic recovery and future stability? In this context, this session will debate the relevance and importance of bringing early closure to the DDA.

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Trade in a carbon-constrained world: adapting to climate change and the changing global trade environment

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 30 November 2009

New products, services and mindsets will be needed in the transition to a low carbon global economy. Developing countries will need help to adapt to the physical effects of climate change itself and to the changing rules and regulations (public and private) likely to shape trade in products and services, in a carbon constrained world. Poor countries will need to adapt to the new market opportunities arising from efforts to mitigate climate change, as well as to climate change itself.

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The private sector and climate change in developing countries

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 30 November 2009

By Karen Ellis, Carolin Schramm and Alberto Lemma

Responding to climate change, and achieving low carbon growth and development, will be a major challenge for the international community; one which will require significant public and private sector action and cooperation.

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Protectionism and the crisis: some good news

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 30 November 2009

The fears of a mass shift to protectionism as a result of the global financial and economic crisis have not yet been borne out. This Opinion warns against undue pessimism, looking at evidence on whether or not protectionist policies have been increased. It argues that the current situation is very different to that prevailing during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when goverments had fewer policy levers to stimulate the economy. The Opinion warns, however, against lowering the anti-protectionist guard too soon, given the scale of unemployment.

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It is time to close the Doha Round: with or without a deal

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 30 November 2009

As trade ministers move to Geneva for the three day WTO Ministerial meeting, some of them may start wondering what exactly they are going to discuss there. This is no trivial question, given that this is the first ministerial meeting that will not deal with the negotiations during the current Round. After over eight years of fruitless negotiations, this continuous lingering of the negotiating circus is disappointing to say the least.

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Doha and the global crisis

Publication - Briefing papers - 30 November 2009

ODI Briefings 57

Susan Prowse

Leaving the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) hanging is not the best policy strategy.

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Overview

Since the last WTO Ministerial Conference in 2005, the world has changed. The global financial crisis of the last 18 months has reignited debate about protectionism and brought trade practices to the forefront of economic recovery plans.

The Seventh Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference will discuss “The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment”. It provides an opportunity for Trade Ministers and delegates to consider and review WTO activities – from the Doha Round to climate change.

ODI will be hosting side events on these key themes as part of the Geneva Trade and Development Symposium which will run alongside the Ministerial Conference.