Nepal's Accession to the World Trade Organization: Case Study of Issues Relevant to Least Developed Countries

Nepal was the first Least Developed Country to negotiate its accession to the World Trade Organization. The negotiation process was demanding, yet it succeeded in securing a relatively well-balanced accession package. The purpose of this paper is to describe the contours of the negotiation process and to share lessons learned. The paper details the onerous process involved in the accession of LDCs to the WTO and describes the context of Nepal’s negotiating positions. Some distinctive aspects of Nepal’s approach to the process of accession are highlighted and compared with the situation of some other LDCs.