Group System

Group system in Global Commerce Policy

In this regard, a definition of this issue is as follows: the system on which negotiations in UNCTAD in particular were based for a long time. The UNCTAD membership is divided formally into four groups: Asian and African countries (Group A), OECD countries (Group B), Latin-American and Caribbean countries (Group C) and the socialist countries, now the economies in transition (Group D). Positions of responsibility in the various UNCTAD committees rotated among the groups according to agreed guidelines. The entries on trade policy are here. At UNCTAD I in 1964, Groups A and C decided to meet jointly, creating the Group of 77. The entries on trade policy are here. In legal terms, Groups A and C continue to exist, but they only meet sporadically. Negotiations were carried out through group coordinators upon whom it fell to arrive at a common group position. The entries on trade policy in the Encyclopedia are here. Often, this left them little leeway for flexibility because they always had to negotiate with other groups on the basis of delicately balanced compromises within their groups. The group system was one of the factors preventing UNCTAD from reaching its full potential because it forestalled the emergence of subject-oriented coalitions where some developed and developing countries had shared interests. The formation of something like the Cairns Group in the GATT was therefore never a serious possibility in UNCTAD.[1]

Group systemin the wold Encyclopedia

For an introductory overview on international trade policy, see this entry.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Dictionary of Trade Policy, “Group system” entry (OAS)

See Also