Review of 'Behind the scenes at the WTO: the real world of international trade negotiations. By Fatoumata Jawara and Eileen Kwa.' (Pre-published version)

Abstract

The investigative work conducted by Fatoumata Jawara and Eileen Kwa in this illuminating book shatters the illusion that the one-member, one-vote system of governance within the World Trade Organization (WTO) makes it the most democratic of all intergovernmental institutions with a global mandate. The authors conducted research and semi-structured interviews with 33 Geneva-based missions to the WTO and with ten WTO Secretariat staff members between February and August 2002. Such detective work forms the basis of the book and gives lie to the claim that the current round of WTO negotiations represents a ‘Development Agenda’.