The Doha Work Programe: Still the Develooment Agenda?

The document analyzes the 'Development Agenda' of the WTO's Doha Work Programme, arguing that while the original 2001 declaration promised to place the interests of developing countries at the heart of trade negotiations, the subsequent July framework shows a shift toward accommodating the policies of developed nations. It examines specific sectors including agriculture, Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA), services, and the 'Singapore issues', while also discussing the contested relationship between trade and environmental agreements.

• The Doha Ministerial Declaration established a 'Development Agenda' based on three primary clusters: correcting imbalances in areas of interest to developing countries (such as agriculture), providing binding 'special and differential (S&D) treatment' to account for uneven playing fields, and addressing implementation challenges from the previous Uruguay round.
• In agriculture, the July framework is criticized for lacking a formula for tariff reductions and allowing developed nations like the EU and US to protect 'Sensitive Products' or use 'green box' and 'blue box' subsidies to circumvent reductions in domestic support.
• Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations are viewed as potentially harmful to developing countries because their industrial tariffs are generally higher; the author asserts the July framework does not sufficiently consider these concerns despite the original Doha mandate for 'less than full reciprocity'.
• Developing countries achieved a significant victory in the July framework by confirming that three of the 'Singapore issues' — trade and investment, trade and competition policy, and transparency in government procurement — are excluded from the Doha Work Programme, thereby preserving policy space.
• Negotiations on the link between trade and environment remain controversial and restrictive, focusing primarily on the relationship between WTO rules and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

APA

Oliva, M. J. (n.d.). The Doha Work Programe: Still the Develooment Agenda? Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Doha_SDI12.pdf

Chicago

Oliva, Maria Julia. The Doha Work Programe: Still the Develooment Agenda? Center for International Environmental Law, n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Doha_SDI12.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Oliva |first1=Maria Julia |title=The Doha Work Programe: Still the Develooment Agenda? |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Doha_SDI12.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olivanddoha, author = {Oliva, Maria Julia}, title = {{The Doha Work Programe: Still the Develooment Agenda?}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Doha_SDI12.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }