ABSTRACT
One of the most heralded characteristics of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is the increased level of participation and influence of developing countries. Much is made of the increased presence of developing countries at all levels of WTO trade negotiations, from their membership of mini-ministerials and various negotiating committees to participation in the so-called exclusive ‘Green Room’ meetings. Indeed, depending on which version of the Cancún Ministerial meeting (September 2003) one finds most convincing, developing countries played a major role in the collapse of the trade talks. During the December 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial meeting, developing country participation was, once again, key to the completion of the negotiations. In particular, the Africa Group’s involvement in the agricultural negotiations – and specifically the talks on cotton, where there was a minimal agreement – was vital to the overall outcome.
