Embedding Development in WTO Plurilateralism: A Commonwealth Developing Country Perspective

Trade is widely accepted as an essential tool for economic growth and sustainable development, and has helped lift millions of people out of poverty (World Bank, 2018). It can also reduce the marginalisation of developing countries in the global economy, especially that of least developed countries (LDCs), small vulnerable economies (SVEs) and countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Most of these countries depend on trade for their growth and development, especially on exports in a narrow range of goods and services.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics reflects on some of the key trade and development issues of interest to LDCs, SVEs and SSA countries. It then highlights the need to explore possibilities for prioritising their development interests, individually and collectively, in a changing global economic and trading landscape, by transforming plurilateral discussions of interest to them into more openended and inclusive multilateral discussions.