Main legal provisions

WTO agreement contains special provisions for developing countries.

These provisions are referred to as special and differential treatment provisions.
The WTO Agreements also contain special provisions which give developed countries the
possibility to treat developing countries more favourably than other WTO Members
The special provisions include:

longer time periods for implementing agreements and commitments,

measures to increase trading opportunities for these countries
provisions requiring all WTO members to safeguard the trade interests of developing countries,
and support to help developing countries build the infrastructure for WTO work, handle disputes,
and implement technical standards

The Agreement Establishing the WTO:

Economic development as one of the objectives of the WTO.
raising standards of living
ensuring full employment large
steadily growing volume of real income.
effective demand

expanding the production of and trade in goods and services.

(GATT) Goods

protect their markets from imports and balance-of-payments difficulties.

Preferential treatment for developing countries. (grant trade concessions to developing
countries they should not expect the developing countries to make matching offers in return)

Enabling Clause for developing countries (goods):

Officially called the Decision on Differential and More Favourable Treatment,

Generalized System of Preferences(GSP). Under the Generalized System of Preferences,
developed countries offer non-reciprocal preferential treatment (such as zero or low duties on
imports) to products originating in developing countries.
Preference-giving countries unilaterally determine which countries and which products are
included in their schemes,
regional arrangements: number of developing countries exchange trade concessions among
themselves.(eg:EFTA)

General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS):

aims at increasing the participation of developing countries in world trade.

To strengthening the domestic services, competitiveness of developing countries through access
to technology and improving their access to information networks.
restrict trade due to balance-of payment.

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS):

longer time-frame to implement all the provisions of TRIPS Agreement and encourages
technology assistance.

Eg:Protection of human safety or health

The largest number of technical regulations and standards are adopted to aim at protecting
human safety or health. Numerous examples can be given. National regulations that require
that motor vehicles be equipped with seat belts to minimise injury in the event of road
accidents, or that sockets be manufactured in a way to protect users from electric shocks, fall
under the first category. A common example of regulations whose objective is the protection
of human health is labelling of cigarettes to indicate that they are harmful to health

Waivers:

allows developing country members to provide preferential tariff treatment to products of least
developed countries.