Middle Powers in World Trade Diplomacy ― India, South Africa and the Doha Development Agenda

Leading developing countries are becoming increasingly active in engaging with the management of the world economy, and are inclined to pursue middle power diplomacy in order to shape negotiations and diffuse crises in contemporary global governance.

India and South Africa are two prime cases of developing countries which have deployed different bargaining approaches in their attempt to enhance their influence and international status. In the World Trade Organisation (WTO), they have strived to place development at the centre of negotiations and re-balance commitments between North and South. After years of negotiations, India succeeded in overcoming the limitations of middle power diplomacy and acting as a major player whose consent is essential for concluding negotiations. In contrast, South Africa remained a secondary player in the WTO, partially maintaining its role as leader of the global South but unable to directly influence the progress of the Doha Development Agenda.

This book provides a revealing insight into how developing countries can promote change in international institutions, and will appeal to scholars of Diplomacy, Global Governance, Development and International Politics.

Charalampos Efstathopoulos is a Lecturer in International Politics at Aberystwyth University, UK. He specialises in Indian and South African foreign policy, the World Trade Organisation, and theoretical approaches to middle powers.