Plurilateral trade agreements and the impact on LDCs – to participate or not to participate?

Plurilateral trade agreements are voluntary agreements of a sectoral nature that are entered into by more than 2 WTO member states

From:: Department for International Development
Published: 25 October 2017

Country:: Bangladesh, Chile, India, Lesotho, Malawi and South Africa
Document Type:: Research Paper
Theme:: Economic Growth
Authors:: Bertelsmann-Scott, T, Van Rensburg, Susara J Jansen, Parry, A, Parshotam, A, Nkhata, D.P. and Rossouw, R

Abstract

Plurilateral trade agreements (PTAs) are voluntary agreements of a sectoral nature that are entered into by more than 2 World Trade Organization (WTO) member states.

The overarching purpose of this project was to understand what factors limit developing country and least developed countries participation in plurilateral agreements currently being negotiated by a variety of countries in different formations. The aim was to promote greater inclusivity in plurilateral agreements and their negotiation.

The objective of the research was to identify, analyse and understand developing countries’ lack of engagement in plurilateral agreements, and to quantify the losses resulting from their non-participation to:

inform developed countries’ positions in respect of current and future plurilateral negotiations, thereby ensuring that developing country voices, concerns and positions are heard
help developing countries understand current debates around plurilateral agreements so as to facilitate their participation in these agreements, either directly or through developed countries taking due cognisance of developing country positions and including them in their positions
stimulate a global debate on how to move the WTO agenda forward in a way that invites inclusivity within processes outside of the Doha Development Round.

This report includes 3 in-depth country case studies looking at Chile, Bangladesh and Malawi, and 3 shorter policy briefs aimed at understanding the political economy reasons why South Africa, India and Lesotho are not engaging in PTA negotiations.

This report was prepared for the UK Department for International Development (DFID) by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in collaboration with Trade Matters and the TRADE research entity of the North-West University (NWU). This work was funded by DFID’s Policy Research Fund

Citation

Talitha Bertelsmann-Scott, Susara J Jansen Van Rensburg, Ali Parry, Asmita Parshotam, Dorica Phiri Nkhata, Riaan Rossouw. (2017) Plurilateral trade agreements and the impact on LDCs – to participate or not to participate? South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)