Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/57614
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
WTO Staff Working Paper No. ERSD-2011-05
Publisher: 
World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva
Abstract: 
Decision making in the WTO has become ever more difficult as the number of members increases and the range of issues tackled broadens. This paper looks at reasons why aspects of decision-making might be changed and discusses a number of potential pitfalls that change would have to avoid, such as a dilution of commitments and fragmentation of the multilateral trading system. It then takes a detailed look at the notion of critical mass decision-making. It argues for this approach under certain conditions, as it would: i) allow for the emergence of a more progressive and responsive WTO agenda; ii) blunt the diversion of trade cooperation initiatives to RTAs; iii) allow more efficient differentiation in the levels of rights and obligations among a community of highly diverse economies; and iv) promote greater efficiency in multilaterally-based negotiations on trade rules, and perhaps, sectoral market access agreements.
Subjects: 
GATT/WTO
negotiations
decision-making
JEL: 
F1
F5
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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