The Doha Development Agenda, 2000–1

This chapter examines the different types of diplomacy SMPs may pursue in order to promote their preferred vision of reform internationalism. SMPs generally aspire to influence negotiations in order to secure benefits for the global South and ensure the stability of global governance, but this objective can be pursued through different bargaining strategies. A defensive approach to reform will seek the rebalancing of existing commitments between developed and developing countries and prioritise the resolution of existing imbalances before new agendas can be negotiated. A proactive approach will facilitate the consensus-building required for initiating new agendas if it is deemed that only such engagement will secure the stability of global governance. SMPs can mobilise different segments of the global South to promote these different agendas, but they may also interpret the broader climate surrounding each negotiation in different ways. They may fail to recognise the firm structural leadership provided by major powers and the processes of consensus-building that take place beyond their sphere of influence. SMPs that correctly interpret these conditions are better positioned to exert influence that is disproportionate to their limited material capabilities.