ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the pro-active and reactive role of Third World middle powers in arena-shifting. It explores the dialectics of forum-shifting strategies of the dominant powers of the USA and the EU on the one hand, and of Third World middle powers on the other hand. In order to deal with economic strategies, it is useful to have a framework that permits the identification of central traits of such strategies. The regulationist approach has developed such a conceptual framework. The chapter outlines some basic traits of forum shifting in international trade negotiations. It focuses on three historic examples in more detail in order to contextualise the attempts at forum-shifting. These include from aborted International Trade Organisation (ITO) to General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) versus GATT, and From GATT to World Trade Organisation (WTO). The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
