The Doha negotiations have stalled and the November elections in the United States showed that advocates of economic nationalism are growing in strength. Nevertheless, a new Council Special Report makes a case for the effectiveness of the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly its dispute settlement system. “The dispute settlement system reflects a delicate balance between toughness and respect for sovereignty; rather than criticizing the result, U.S. policymakers and legislators should invest more energy in defending it,” says the report.

This report defends the WTO dispute settlement mechanism against critics who think it should be tougher on violators as well as critics who think it is already so tough as to violate sovereignty.

Two experts debate the mechanism for adjudicating trade arguments.

Negotiations in the Doha trade round have been revived, but the core disagreements on agriculture that stalled the talks last summer persist.

A profile of the Doha round of World Trade Organization multilateral trade talks.

OxFam International has issued a report criticizing the failure to implement the Doha Declaration on Public Health.

With time running out, top officials are trying to revive the struggling Doha trade round, once touted as salvation for impoverished nations. But some experts say the attention of big powers, reflecting a growing mood of protectionism, has already shifted to smaller bilateral trade deals.

Report from the German Marshall Fund of the United States arguing that the recent collapse of World Trade Organization talks on a new round of trade liberalization was a triumph for protectionism. The fund argues that negotiators, heads of state, NGOs and others should use this 'pause' to consolidate the real gains made in terms of moving the globe toward a fairer trading system; to strengthen what a new trade agreement could bring for the poorest countries; and also to develop national plans to change the basis on which subsidies are given to farmers, making the payments less market distorting and more politically feasible.

As the Doha world trade talks founder, the United States has continued to pursue a growing number of bilateral deals. Some economists praise the trend as contributing to trade liberalization and market reforms while others scorn the practice as skewing trade norms.

With a chill setting in on the Geneva-based world trade talks, the Bush administration has shifted into high gear on negotiating smaller free trade agreements. But there are mixed views on how much the new deals matter and what they are doing to the global trading system.

Global trade negotiators have reached an impasse on efforts to reduce barriers on farm goods. Without a deal soon, experts fear it may be too late to rescue the "Doha Development Round," posing risks to the credibility of the World Trade Organization.

What would it take to produce a global trade agreement that addresses the interests of both developed and developing countries?