What Way Forward for Africa at the WTO?

Volume

7,

Number

1

-

15 February 2018

Africa

What Way Forward for Africa at the WTO?

15 February 2018

Although expectations were comparatively low as delegations gathered in Buenos Aires last December, the outcome of the WTO’s Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) still came as a disappointment to many in the trade policy community and beyond. Unable to overcome their differences, the organisation...

WTO

After the WTO’s Ministerial Conference, Where Next for Africa?

15 February 2018

Christophe Bellmann

In the aftermath of the December WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, pessimism about the future of the institution has been reaching record levels and no clear plan has emerged yet on where to take the WTO next. In this rather bleak environment, what are the possible options for African...

Agriculture

The WTO, Agriculture, and Development: A Lost Cause?

15 February 2018

Kimberly Ann Elliott

Disciplining agricultural protectionism has long been a challenge for trade negotiators. The Doha Round stumbled over it and the impasse over public stockholding continues. Should the WTO just give up on agriculture? In the early 2000s, subsidies and trade barriers in rich countries were helping...

Development

Surviving the Growing Disconnect Between Trade and Development

15 February 2018

Paul Batibonak

With the failure of the Eleventh Ministerial Conference to produce any substantial results, the WTO has reached an impasse. From an African perspective and fired with a constructive spirit, this article explores potential leads for moving forwards. In the absence of results from the last WTO...

Continental Free Trade Area

How Can the CFTA Help Africa Respond to its Economic Transformation Imperative?

15 February 2018

Judith Fessehaie

Despite the substantial growth of their economies over the last decades, many African countries are still struggling to transition to higher value-added economic activities. In a global trade context marked by substantial challenges, how can the CFTA support Africa’s structural transformation?...

United States (US)

US-African Trade: Creating Common Ground Amidst Policy Uncertainty?

15 February 2018

Katrin Kuhlmann

As the US Administration moves forward with a trade policy for Africa and African leaders work toward regional harmonisation, common ground may be emerging focused on market opportunity, a balanced approach to the rule of law, and support for regional trade. The future of trade and development...

Development

Publications and resources

15 February 2018

Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Global Value Chains: A Case Study of the Myanmar Garment Sector – ICTSD – February 2018 Myanmar is benefitting from an investment boom in the garment sector. This has resulted in fast-growing exports to global markets, job creation for up to 300,000...