ABSTRACT
The GATT Uruguay Round was originally supposed to be completed at the Brussels ministerial in December 1990, but persistent delays and divisions on key issues such as agriculture prevented the conclusion of the round as planned. This chapter examines the role of the G7, the Quad, and the OECD from the 1986 Punta del Este ministerial launching the Uruguay Round to the 1990 Brussels ministerial. It discusses that the EC was unable to make specific offers in agriculture in the early stages of the Uruguay Round, and this put the Community on the defensive and angered other agricultural exporting countries. The chapter also presents the important new role of North-South coalition groups in the Uruguay Round. The Quad performed some useful functions during the 1986 to 1990 period. The OECD's work on services and agricultural trade helped to ensure that these issues would be the subject of serious negotiation in the Uruguay Round.
