Following the riotous 1999 meeting in Seattle, and a near failure in Doha in 2001, the World Trade Organization dedicated the current round of trade liberalization talks to "development." Negotiators will meet in Cancun, Mexico, in September amid competing claims regarding what steps are necessary to make trade serve development goals. The catch phrases of international trade—"comparative advantage," "the development round," "trade not aid," and "level playing field"—hide tough choices for both developing and developed country governments. Getting trade rules right is not sufficient for development, but getting them wrong can cripple it. The authors outline the policies that governments and international institutions will need to avoid a debacle at Cancun and to assist developing countries in achieving long-lasting growth.
A limited number of print copies are available.
Request a copy
About the Authors
John Audley is senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment, where he directs the Trade, Equity, and Development Project.
George Perkovich is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment.
Sandra Polaski is senior associate in the Trade, Equity, and Development Project and Scott Vaughan is a visiting scholar with the Project.
