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Making the WTO More Development-Friendly – Some Proposals in Fa...

Making the WTO More Development-Friendly – Some Proposals in Favour of Developing Member Countries

Identifying large deficits of the WTO with regard to developmental needs, this paper proposes changes to the better. First, still existing negative discrimination of developing countries has to be abolished to create equal market access. Furthermore, developing countries need meaningful differentiated and preferential treatment to be able to catch up. Special forms of infant industry protection are proposed, as well as appropriate changes in the TRIMs and TRIPS Treaties. “Voluntary” Export Restrictions (VERs) have to be outlawed. A Food Import Facility is proposed to fulfil the pledge to make up for WTOcaused losses made to net-food-importing developing countries to entice them to sign at Marrakech. Dispute settlement, strongly criticised by developing countries should be made fair: compensation for damage done to developing countries and proof of nonnegligible damage if they are the defendant, as well as collective retaliation vis-à-vis offenders by all other WTO-members are needed. The problematic, undemocratic “Green Room” must go.