Restoring Multilateral Trade Cooperation

This policy brief, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs, provides recommendations to restore multilateral trade cooperation and the central role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) amidst a systemic crisis characterized by the failure of the Doha Round and the rise of Mega-Preferential Trade Arrangements (MPTAs).

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing a systemic crisis where its negotiating function is seriously compromised and its rule-making function is effectively paralysed, primarily due to the failure to conclude the Doha Round.
• The authors recommend that the Doha Round be terminated or, at minimum, suspended indefinitely, as it is no longer viable and acts as a barrier to constructive alternatives.
• There is a strong recommendation to finalize the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) by obtaining ratification from two-thirds of the membership, as it offers an innovative approach to 'behind the border' issues and special and differential treatment for Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
• The document advocates for 'docking' plurilateral agreements into the WTO system to maintain the organization's central role and ensure consistency with existing rules and the Dispute Settlement Understanding, specifically highlighting the urgency for the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA).
• The authors suggest that the WTO should increase its role as a steward of the global trading system by more effectively monitoring and assessing Preferential Trade Arrangements (PTAs) to identify trade and investment diversion.
• The brief identifies a conceptual divide between trade liberalization and national development policies, suggesting that a common understanding of 'good policy' is a precondition for multilateral cooperation.
• The document argues that a lack of effective leadership from the U.S., EU, and major emerging economies like China, Brazil, South Africa, and India is hindering multilateral progress.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2015). Restoring Multilateral Trade Cooperation. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-12-01-WTO-Restoring_Multilateral-Project_Recomendations_Final.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Restoring Multilateral Trade Cooperation. 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-12-01-WTO-Restoring_Multilateral-Project_Recomendations_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Restoring Multilateral Trade Cooperation |date=1 December 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-12-01-WTO-Restoring_Multilateral-Project_Recomendations_Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2015restoring, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Restoring Multilateral Trade Cooperation}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-12-01-WTO-Restoring_Multilateral-Project_Recomendations_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }