A Club No More - The WTO after Doha

Since its inception the GATT, and subsequently the WTO, has been able to operate in a fashion that is more consistent with a club than an inclusive organization that encouraged the active participation of all its members. The WTO Ministerial Meeting in Doha in November 2001 appears to have been a watershed in how the organization functions, and the club model may no longer be appropriate. While it is not yet clear what will replace the previous model, it is apparent that decision making will be much more diffused and the interests of a much broader spectrum of member countries taken into account. The central question is whether or not the transformed organization can still serve the interests of those who were previously able to dominate the club the major trading nations. If it cannot, they may look for another club that will better serve their purposes, and all the effort that has gone into building a well functioning multilateral trade regime will have been for naught. Those members that worked so hard to end the club may not reap the benefits they expect unless they are prudent in how they use the power that they now hold within the WTO.