The negotiation process works through trade-offs between and among countries and interests. Trade-offs can only convincingly be made in the context of negotiations. The newly found power of the developing countries may lead to a positive link between attention to addressing implementation issues and agreement on a new Round. When no comprehensive round of multilateral trade negotiations is underway, the scope for negotiating changes in trade rules or new concessions in key areas of national interest can be greatly diminished. This can be disadvantageous to those for whom the existing rules are not working well or whose interests would be served by agreeing to rules in new areas.
Negotiations are successful only when the agenda is clear and well balanced.
The proliferation of new themes taken on by the WTO is beginning to make the agenda extremely complex. Many core environmental issues essential to sustainable development must be on the WTO agenda because they have strong trade-related implications at the international level, such that recognizing national environmental preferences is not sufficient. A sophisticated and multifaceted international environmental regime already exists, and it is imperative that the synergy between it and the trade regime be optimized. The WTO is not the only international trade forum. The states grouped under the title developing countries are considerably diverse, from major and sophisticated trading powers to others still heavily dependent on development assistance, and WTO membership does not break down easily along the classic North-South divide.