“Developing” Countries’ Arrested Development
Most people accept the need to grant special treatment to developing countries in trade and climate-change talks. But, while many "developing" countries are ready to take on greater responsibilities for fighting climate change, global trade rules allow them to remain beneficiaries of "special and differential" treatment indefinitely.
GENEVA – The World Trade Organization and global climate-change negotiations face comparable challenges. Both need to accommodate different levels of development and match them with appropriate obligations. Even the jargon is similar: “common but differentiated responsibility” in the climate-change talks, and “special and differential” in the WTO.
GENEVA – The World Trade Organization and global climate-change negotiations face comparable challenges. Both need to accommodate different levels of development and match them with appropriate obligations. Even the jargon is similar: “common but differentiated responsibility” in the climate-change talks, and “special and differential” in the WTO.