Emerging ‘New Issues’ in Multilateral Trade Agreements

Very slow progress has been made in multilateral trade negotiations since the initiation of the Doha Development Round in November 2001. Responding to this, the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization in Nairobi has the potential of becoming a watershed moment by opening up the possibility of ‘new issues’ entering the multilateral negotiations. This policy brief discusses some of the likely ‘new issues’ which may be tabled for entering the negotiations, and assesses their likely legal and economic implications for developing and least developed countries (LDCs) and small states.