Q1. [3] deep thorough-understanding
A developing country's government is debating whether to align with other developing nations and collectively negotiate at the WTO, rather than negotiating alone. Why would a joint approach be more effective in pushing for fairer trade rules?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:29 · grounding rag
Model Answer
A joint approach by developing countries at the WTO would be more effective for the following reasons:
- Greater bargaining power: Developed countries dominate WTO negotiations. A collective voice of many developing nations carries more weight than individual countries negotiating alone.
- Common interests: Developing countries share similar concerns — for example, unfair agricultural subsidies given by the US and other developed nations to their farmers, which allow them to sell produce at abnormally low prices, harming developing country farmers.
- Fighting domination: As the textbook states, developing countries can "align with other developing countries with similar interests to fight against the domination of developed countries in the WTO," making it harder for powerful nations to ignore their demands.
Source: The Struggle for a Fair Globalisation, Chapter 4
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Explanation
The examiner expects students to link the idea of collective negotiation to the specific problem described — developed countries retaining unfair trade barriers and agricultural subsidies while forcing developing countries to liberalise. The key phrase directly from the textbook is "align with other developing countries with similar interests to fight against the domination of developed countries in the WTO." Always quote or closely paraphrase this for full marks. Three clear points are ideal for a 3-mark answer.