The Future of the WTO: The Ministerial in Nairobi and beyond

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The World Trade Organization is in its final preparations for the 10th Ministerial Conference in mid-December 2015 in Nairobi, Kenia. However, the potential package deal on the Doha round will be “mini” and focus on issues of interest for developing countries, only. The assembly of currently 161 members will not conclude the full round or touch the substance of its core issues: market access for agriculture, industrial goods and services. Will Nairobi mark the end of the Doha Development Agenda, regardless of the failure to formally conclude the round? Do multilateral negotiations on market access have a future? Which new initiatives should be undertaken by WTO members and what needs to change in order to make the WTO more relevant as a negotiation platform? These and other questions will be addressed during the meeting.