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Special and Differential Treatment Provisions in the WTO: Evaluating Pathways for DevelopmentAbhijit Das, Paavni Mathur and Sushil Kumar
Abstract: Recent proposals under the WTO reform agenda have questioned the continued broad application of Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) and called for a greater alignment of obligations across Members. This paper examines whether economic convergence since the establishment of the WTO supports such claims. Using GDP per capita data in both current US dollars and purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, the analysis evaluates income trends for developing Members relative to developed economy benchmarks. The results indicate that a considerable difference persists between the standards of living in developing countries, on one hand, and the developed countries, on the other. The need to continue with S&DT based on self-determination continues to remain important and relevant.


