C/P/25. The world trading system and the North-South dialogue

The essay addresses the structural effects of the international trade for the developing and the least developed countries from the theoretical angles of the underdevelopment and dependency theories. There follows a discussion of the emergence and the break-down of the Washington consensus. The essay than focuses on the WTO negotiations and the increasing awareness among the WTO member states that the developing and, in particular, the least developed countries, require special concessions and differential treatment in the trade liberalisation talks. The outcomes of the Marrakesh, Singapore, Geneva and Doha meetings are considered in turn to illuminate this growing awareness of the structural difficulties faced by the developing countries in the international trade.