The Region 10 chairman and his team should be congratulated for successfully completing the recent negotiations with the government. However, I want to focus on one aspect of that negotiation process that may hold some lessons as we irrevocably eschew bullyism and commit to persistently seeking negotiated outcomes.
The chairman was reported (Demerara Waves: “Signing of Govt- Region 10 agreement aborted:” 20/08/2012) as stating that the recent negotiations proceeded according to what he defined as “Rohee’s law:” “nothing is agreed until all is agreed.” Of course, this is not “Rohee’s law” but the major element of the principle known as the “single undertaking” that is mainly applied to complicated international trade negotiations. However, in ordinary negotiations “nothing is agreed until all is agreed” usually appears sensible and fair and thus there is a tendency for participants to quickly accept it. However, as we shall see below, neither it nor the general principle contains any inherent morality or wisdom.
Countries involved in the present Doha Round of trade negotiations have promised that “the conduct, conclusion and entry into force of the outcome of the negotiations shall be treated as parts of a
