Bali Ministerial of the WTO and the Way Forward: Safeguarding LDC Interests

Abstract

The paper critically examines the outcomes of the Bali Ministerial of the WTO, held in December 2013, from the lens of issues of interest and concern to the least developed countries (LDCs). In this backdrop, the paper undertakes an assessment of the LDC Package adopted in Bali that includes issues of duty-free market access, services waiver, trade facilitation, special and differential treatment and food security, among others. The paper argues that LDCs should do the needed homework to narrow-down their differences and identify common grounds so that they can project a united front in the follow-up negotiations in Geneva. In this context, the paper puts forward concrete recommendations in each of the identified areas with a view to securing LDC interests in view of the Bali deliverables.