2003 World Trade Report

Author: WTO Secretariat
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This book explores the trends in world trade each year and focuses on important issues in the world trading system. In addition to monitoring and interpreting trade developments, the report seeks to deepen the public's understanding of pressing policy issues. This book does not aim to provide comprehensive answers for governments and their electorates on the various complex and multifaceted issues under constant debate. Instead, it seeks to make discussions clearer by explaining the origins of the issues and providing analytical frameworks for solving them, as well as better evaluating the various options available to address policy challenges.
The second part of this book covers a wide range of issues with direct and significant stakes for WTO membership. This year's theme is trade development. After providing a general and brief overview of the development of contraceptives and the relationship between trade and development, the report analyzes how the Doha Development Agenda contributes to the growth and development of developing countries. At the end, the report examines how the Doha negotiations and work program can help developing countries and least-developed countries participate more effectively and powerfully, based on new opportunities created by policy changes in the WTO.
The report analyzes issues such as market access, policies to promote openness for development purposes, policies to manage openness within WTO rules, and issues related to the expansion of the WTO negotiation agenda. For each issue, the report identifies key questions and evaluates various options based on their impact on development.