NGOs in WTO Talks: Patterns of Performance and What They Mean

Abstract

<jats:sec><jats:title><jats:bold>Abstract</jats:bold></jats:title><jats:p>Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have remained outside all the GATT rounds since the 1950s. In contrast, hundreds of NGOs have taken part in the current WTO round. This article maps the formal participation of NGOs in five ministerial conferences during the Doha round. It also analyzes various forms of NGO involvement in the WTO trade talks, such as lobbying and capacity-building of developing countries. An assessment of the current and potential capacities of NGOs in the Doha round requires that their performance be seen from an explicit negotiation perspective. Both NGO participation and involvement, as well the interaction between these two forms of NGO performance need to be considered. An assessment of how NGOs may have an impact on negotiation effectiveness and efficiency in WTO rounds should be approached from a long-term perspective and should consider other kinds of outcomes than formal final agreements. NGO performance in WTO may increase the complexity of negotiations or the significance of non-trade issues. NGO activities outside the WTO may disturb multilateral trade negotiations in the short term, such as during ongoing Ministerial Conferences. On the other hand, NGOs may also help to pave the way for constructive long-term changes in the WTO regime, which, in turn, may have a favorable impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall WTO negotiation system.</jats:p></jats:sec>

Leadership and Organizational Change: Some Perspective from the Basics

“…For the international context, NGOs may be of more flexible nature to adapt to the organizational analysis since it can be flexible, more changing-friendly, and of civilian nature. GOs may be intermediary on this spectrum between the government itself and NGOs (Sjöstedt, G., 2012).…”

“…The pro-activists stress on more democratization of WTO including the institutional reforms about the method of decision making and way of incorporating the opinions of global public. They strongly urge to officialize the participation of NGOs (Sjöstedt, G., 2012), which now partly are allowed to file an non-party opinion upon the request of panels or appellate body. That may enable an evolutionary change within the WTO organization, yet to be uncertain to see any kind of revolutionary change as happened since 1987 through 1995.…”

“…developing." One of interesting points is that NGOs have gradually raised their voice and context of involvement, which made the organizations interact with the pluralistic parties (Sjöstedt, G., 2012). They are normally pro-activists for the environmental protection, and the contrast is usually drawn between "the developmentalist and environmentalist."…”

Global democracy and the democratic minimum: Why a procedural account alone is insufficient

“…Because of the absence of domestic debate, developing countries have frequently entered negotiations with a 'hollow mandate'. In contrast to most industrialized countries, they have pursued a rather defensive negotiation strategy that puts them at a disadvantage (Chasek, 2001;Frost, 2001;Gupta, 1997;Sjöstedt and Spector, 1993).…”

Slowing Trade: Global Activism Against Trade Liberalization

“…Mobilizations have often focused on WTO conferences; actions at these events represented an opportunity for reaching global public opinion and for contestation (from the outside) and lobbying (from the inside). The total number of NGOs participating in WTO conferences was 746 in Seattle (1999), 220 in Doha (2001), 834 in Cancun (2003), 999 in Hong Kong (2005), 426 in Geneva (2009) (Sjöstedt, , p. 98–100). The number of countries with NGO representatives within their delegations rose from 58 in Seattle to 81 in Cancun and 80 in Hong Kong.…”