Manoeuvring at the Margins

'... an interesting, ambitious, timely and useful study...[it] asks good questions and contributes original evidence from three methods: an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and country case studies. I found what the respondents said, and the report concluded, to be revealing and valuable.' - John Odell, University of Southern California, and author of Negotiating Trade: Developing Countries in the WTO and NAFTA.

Highlights three areas where small states can maximise their potential influence: establishing an effective negotiating team by strengthening human resources; harnessing the support of civil society and the private sector; and, improving negotiation strategies.Of enduring concern for small states are the numerous constraints they face in international trade negotiations. This study provides evidence that small states can still have an important influence over the outcomes of negotiations if they successfully identify and tackle these underlying constraints.

Building on existing scholarship, Manoeuvring at the Margins is the first attempt to thoroughly analyse the views of representatives from small states on the constraints they face in this area. The authors, led by Dr Ngaire Woods and Dr Carolyn Deere Birkbeck of the University of Oxford, highlight three areas where small states can maximise their potential influence: establishing an effective negotiating team by strengthening human resources; harnessing the support of civil society and the private sector; and improving negotiation strategies. The recommendations they provide will be useful in assisting trade policy-makers in small states to achieve greater success in WTO and other trade arenas.