Description
The book "The Doha Blues" by Kent Jones discusses the institutional crisis and reform in the WTO. The author argues that the WTO has become unwieldy and that countries need to organize around specific platform positions in order to make progress in negotiations. He also argues for financial support for poorer countries so that they can participate effectively in negotiations. The author contends that the principle of the "single undertaking" has become a serious constraint and must be modified.
The collapse of the Doha Round hangs heavily over an already troubled world economy. Some have concluded that this failure is simply the result of a lack of political will and a pre-occupation with issues such as terrorism. But as Kent Jones reveals in
The Doha Blues, the World Trade Organization needs serious structural changes, not just political backbone. He shows for instance that the WTO--now with 153 members--has become increasingly unwieldy in terms of concluding trade agreements and he suggests that countries organize around specific platform positions, a strategy that would make the "holy grail" of consensus once again possible. Jones also argues for financial support for poorer countries so that they can participate effectively in negotiations and he contends that the principle of the "single undertaking" (that "there is no agreement until everything is agreed") has become a serious and perhaps crippling constraint, and must be modified. Jones is a leading authority on trade policy and his book illuminates the real stumbling blocks to trade liberalization and highlights the way around them.
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