IATP Report: Can Aid Fix Trade? Assessing the WTO's Aid For Trade Agenda

The debate about the WTO's Aid for Trade negotiations is critical because it firmly places questions about aid-how much, to whom, and for what purpose-within the context of the WTO. There is a risk that Aid for Trade will distort multilateral trade negotiations and further complicate already delicate relations between developed and developing countries.

Important questions still need to be answered before WTO members decide to go forward with this agenda. Is Aid for Trade a consolation prize for a failed Doha Agenda? Will Aid for Trade be used to pressure developing countries to open markets more than they otherwise would? Are donors serious about embracing Aid for Trade according to recipients' needs? Will there be enough money? And is the WTO the best forum to operationalize Aid for Trade?

In a new report, IATP answers the tough questions. Can Aid Fix Trade? Assessing the WTO's Aid For Trade Agenda can be downloaded at http://www.tradeobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=89070