Introduction

Since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round and the establishment of the WTO, the active participation of developing countries in the multilateral trading system has increasingly been recognized as a crucial element for their development as well as an imperative to ensure the legitimacy and sustainability of the world trade regime. Yet many poor countries do not have the capacity to influence significantly the WTO negotiations or to implement the commitments agreed multilaterally. They still face major challenges to determining and defending their positions in technical negotiations, even on issues which are of key strategic interest to them. Indeed, the unprecedented depth and breadth of issues discussed in the current Doha Development Round have put the capacity of the developing countries (DCs), both at home and in their Geneva missions (for those that can afford to have one), under extraordinary pressure in effectively managing the process of their participation in these WTO negotiations.

Recognizing the key potential role of international trade for their sustainable development, many DCs entered into various bilateral and regional trade agreements and followed a dual path of multilateralism and regionalism.

The specific question addressed in this case study is the extent to which the participation of DCs in regional economic communities (RECs) has facilitated, or on the contrary hampered, their participation in the WTO. Regional co-operation and co-ordination among DCs can be construed as a way of pooling scarce resources and create synergies.