The World Trade Organisation (WTO) defines rules on the international

trade in goods and services, and these rules have consequences

for national policies. An arena for decision that claims to be

democratic, the WTO is an arena where countries with different

socioeconomic and political weights and diverging interests

confront each other. African countries have always struggled to participate

fully in this organisation because they are unable to influence

its decisions, running the risk of not having their concerns heard

and having inadequate multilateral rules on public policy elaboration

imposed upon them.

They have many obstacles before them: in addition to their under-representation

at WTO headquarters because of insufficient economic

and human resources, there is the multitude of WTO bodies, and

the complexity of WTO rules and procedures. The choices made at

the WTO are of major importance for development, in particular in the

field of agriculture, an essential socioeconomic sector in Africa.

The purpose of this book is to provide guidance in understanding

how the WTO institutions and agreements that impact the agricultural

sector operate. Its aim is to provide those in charge of civil

society organisations in sub-Saharan Africa with tools and references

to better understand the stakes behind, and means for,

their participation in world trade.

Organised around descriptive and factual texts, this work contains

many definitions and is illustrated by concrete experiences that

facilitate reading.