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2 - The Disempowered Many

When the Weak Suffered What They Must

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Amrita Narlikar
Amrita Narlikar
Affiliation:
German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
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Summary

In this chapter, I trace the negotiating history of the post-war multilateral trading system, from the 1940s to 1995 (i.e. the creation of the WTO), through the lens of poverty narratives. I show how the two main narratives emerged, and how they interacted with each other. I further explain why the narrative that 'won' and achieved dominance for the next several decades was largely unsympathetic to the cause of poverty alleviation, especially when mitigation strategies were discussed in the context of the developing world. I conduct this analysis via three negotiation landmarks, plus a fourth case of decision-making processes. The fifth section of the chapter explores the extent to which the powerlessness of the small and poor extended to other areas of international negotiation as well as other aspects of political and social life.

Keywords

International Trade Organization (ITO)Havana CharterGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)developmentSpecial and Differential TreatmentUruguay Round“Rich Man’s Club”Quadconsensus-based decision-making
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Poverty Narratives and Power Paradoxes in International Trade Negotiations and Beyond , pp. 32 - 71
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • The Disempowered Many
  • Amrita Narlikar
  • Book: Poverty Narratives and Power Paradoxes in International Trade Negotiations and Beyond
  • Online publication: 16 April 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108234191.002
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  • The Disempowered Many
  • Amrita Narlikar
  • Book: Poverty Narratives and Power Paradoxes in International Trade Negotiations and Beyond
  • Online publication: 16 April 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108234191.002
Available formats
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  • The Disempowered Many
  • Amrita Narlikar
  • Book: Poverty Narratives and Power Paradoxes in International Trade Negotiations and Beyond
  • Online publication: 16 April 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108234191.002
Available formats
×