Developing Countries: Victims or Participants -Their Changing Roles in International Negotiations

Negotiations are becoming an increasingly important part of the international system, with the increase particularly marked for developing countries. Multilateral trade negotiations have existed since the foundation of GATT in 1947, but these negotiations have become more complex and important for developing countries. Trade between developed and developing countries, previously largely regulated by unilateral concessions, is increasingly being moved into negotiated agreements. These negotiations have expanded to encompass previously excluded areas (e.g. agriculture) and to new types transaction (e.g. services, patents and copyright, product and regulatory standards). New multilateral negotiations involving developing countries have also emerged. Environmental issues are now being regulated and negotiated upon at the world level through conventions like the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Can developing countries participate effectively in these negotiations, and can they obtain benefits from such participation? What lessons can be learnt from past negotiations about whether developing country participation is effective and how it might be made more effective? Can international institutions or donors help? Finally, what are the implications of more extensive and increasingly effective developing country participation in such negotiations for the way these negotiations are conducted?

New research on developing country participation in three negotiating processes – successive multilateral trade rounds, negotiations between the EU and ACP countries and the Framework Convention on Climate Change - provide answers to these questions.

http://www.odi.org.uk/iedg/Publications/dev_countries_web.pdf