The basic principles of special and differential treatment (SDT) for developing countries are fully established and recognized in the various decisions of the United Nations General Assembly, UNCTAD and WTO. Modernization and operationalization of special and differential treatment, in particular in terms of maintaining and expanding export opportunities for developing countries, may be needed to adapt it to changing international trading conditions and to make special and differential treatment a better instrument for development, enabling developing countries, in particular the LDCs, to gradually integrate into the multilateral trading system. Developing countries should be enabled to make full use of the SDT provisions.
Special and differential treatment in WTO Agreements, such as the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, need consideration in order to better reflect the developing countries' needs.
The special and differential measures in favour of LDCs as contained in the Final Act of the Uruguay Round, especially the Marrakech Declaration and Ministerial Decisions, should be implemented in full and as a matter of priority. New measures for LDCs should also be considered.
The obligations of special and differential treatment in WTO agreements to promote the interests of developing countries are ineffective. To ensure developing countries are treated fairly, these must be strengthened.