Development

This chapter traces how changing meanings of the term ‘development’ have affected the institutionalisation of ‘development-friendly’ rules in the world trade regime. It shows, first, how the advent of neoliberalism has led to a re-definition of the central concept of special and differential treatment (S&D) for developing countries in narrower terms. Second, with the economic rise of Brazil, India and China in the WTO era, developed countries have sought to associate the developing country status with specific economic criteria to exclude emerging countries from S&D. Contestation of this re-definition has weakened other developing countries’ calls for S&D as well.