What is the ‘regular work’? Constructing and contesting everyday committee practices in the World Trade Organization

Abstract

This article explores how practice theory can contribute towards a better understanding of the regular multilateral diplomacy that sustains the World Trade Organization (WTO). Based on interviews, participant observation and a systematic review of WTO documents, it demonstrates how state representatives define and contest the ways in which the many specialized WTO committees conduct their day-to-day operations. First, I show how informal practices that developed organically out of the continued interactions give structure to the committee work. By providing baselines for mutually intelligible interaction, these practices have enabled the delegations to elaborate on the existing multilateral trade agreements and resolve disagreements before they escalate. Second, the article explains why these same committee practices have been – and remain – contested between the members. Precisely because they define feasible paths of action and normalize certain actions in the eyes of the membership, the representatives creatively try to change or retain certain practices in their everyday exchanges. Overall, the article argues that a full explanation of the performance and significance of the WTO is impossible without understanding the practices that guide its regular work, and why these practices remain contested between an increasing number of active WTO members.