Developing Countries and the GATT/WTO

Developing countries, by definition, are countries that are less advanced or matured in major areas such as technology and defence, and also have a low Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, income and the quality of education. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which came into effect in January 1948 and transformed into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in January 1995, was created to provide all members with a trade advantage by reducing tariffs and trade barriers. The relationship between GATT and developing countries has been distant, especially during the early years, with high doubts whether to become fully indulgent in the negotiations due to conflicts in preferences. Although trade can be viewed as somewhat harmful to developing countries, it is a very important factor for driving development, and GATT did have more of an influence within the more recent rounds.