This paper documents the developments in the WTO negotiations from Doha to the present day, in the context of the substantive work programme on Special and Differential Treatment (S&D) for developing countries.

Key finding:

From the evidence so far, no substantial progress has been made in strengthening S&D proposals and making them more precise, effective, and operational as mandated in Doha.

Way forward:

Given that economic and social conditions vary across countries, one option would be to tailor different types of S&D measures to the specific circumstances and needs of developing countries on the basis of their levels of development.