| International trade has been touted as the solution to many of the developing world's problems. However, many of the anticipated benefits are yet to materialize. This has been attributed to a number of factors including the developing world's reliance on external aid, its chronic debt problem and increasingly, to the unfair trade practices on the international trade arena. The World Trade Organization presents a forum for member countries to negotiate trade agreements, but because of the imbalance in negotiating power between developing countries and their more developed counterparts, developing countries were often left holding the short end of the stick.; This thesis explores coalition building as one of the methods of countering this imbalance. To this end, it explores developing country coalitions within the World Trade Organization and through the experience of some coalitions, draws two important lessons for developing countries. First, strategy is essential to the success of any coalition and secondly, developing countries need to think beyond the traditional choice of partners in coalition. The former entails the mechanisms employed by the coalition to achieve its goal and includes research, maintenance of internal cohesion and adaptability. The latter involves shifting away from traditional coalition partners such as fellow developing countries, to coalition building across the North-South divide and also with civil society.; This thesis comes at a particularly relevant time in international trade discourse because of the current developments at the WTO with respect to the, until very recently, stalled Doha Round of negotiations and the role developing country coalitions played, first in stalling the talks in Cancun and subsequently, in negotiating a framework within which to proceed. The thesis, therefore, concludes that coalition building is an important strategy to enhance the effective participation of developing countries in the World Trade Organization. |
