Competition Policy, Development, and Developing Countries

The Declaration of the WTO Ministerial Conference held in Singapore in December 1996 stated in paragraph 20:‘… we also agree to:… establish a working group to study issues raised by Members relating to the interaction between trade and competition policy, including anti-competitive practices, in order to identify any areas that may merit further consideration in the WTO framework.In the conduct of the work of the working group[s], we encourage cooperation … to make the best use of available resources and to ensure that the development dimension is taken fully into account … It is clearly understood that future negotiations, if any, regarding multilateral disciplines in these areas, will take place only after an explicit consensus decision is taken among WTO Members regarding such negotiations.1