De Geneve a Doha: Genese Et Evolution Du Traitement Special Et Differencie des Pays en Developpement Dans Le Droit de L'omc‪.‬

This article documents the origins and evolution of differential treatment in international economic law, using a discussion of international development law as a backdrop, in order to shed light on the transformations that this concept has undergone. This study is mandated not only because the concept of development has been redeployed in the work of international organizations, but also because of the perspective adopted in the current Doha Round of WTO negotiations. It is also mandated because differential treatment has materialized in international environmental law under the new label of "common but differentiated responsibilities." An undeniable sign of juridical vitality, the concept of differential treatment continues to seep into the customary practices of states and into new areas of international law, such as areas relating to the diversity of cultural expressions. The author begins by outlining the emergence of the concept of differential treatment within the United Nations. He then analyzes how the concept was received in the law of the multilateral commercial system, from its origins to the creation of the WTO, and goes on to examine the application of differential treatment by WTO members, paying special attention to the Generalized System of Preferences, which is one of its main modes of application. Finally, the author outlines the prospects for the evolution of differential treatment in light of the current Doha Round of negotiations.