T.R.A.D.E. Occasional Papers 11

INTRODUCTION

This occasional paper is the product of a joint project undertaken by the South Centre and the World Resources Institute (WRI). It is the second of a series intended to provide readers with an analytical overview of the on-going negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) pursuant to its Work Programme under the 2001 WTO Doha Ministerial Declaration (DMD).  The first paper looked at the ongoing agriculture negotiations while the particular focus of this second paper is the negotiations on services and the discussions on the establishment of multilateral framework on investment in the WTO, and their possible implications on the livelihoods of local communities and the natural resources upon which they are dependent.  The last of the series, to be released in November 2003, will analyse, from the perspective of their potential impact on local communities, the outcomes of the Cancún Ministerial Conference of the WTO in September 2003.

The introductory section provides the overall context of the services negotiations and the discussions relating to the development of a multilateral framework for investments in the WTO by giving an overview and background of the Doha trade round. An update of the state of the negotiations is also provided. Part II will discuss and analyse the specific context and status of the services negotiations and of the investment discussions, and try to identify appropriate solutions and best outcomes for developing countries and local communities in relation to such negotiations and discussions. Part III proposes an intervention strategy on how to ensure that the interests of local communities are reflected in such negotiations. The concluding section emphasises the importance of the engagement of communities in the Doha trade round if it is truly to become a “development round”.

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