Small States and their Capabilities

Abstract

There has been considerable controversy within the small states literature about the impact of ‘smallness’ on the capabilities of states. For some, small states have limited capabilities and as a result are weak, exposed and vulnerable in the global economy compared to their larger neighbours. Others argue that several small states have flourished just as well as their larger neighbours and have sufficient capabilities to punch above their weight in the global economy. For some, smallness is not always seen as an insurmountable problem, as in the examples of the economic success of small island states in the 1990s, as well as the more recent development of Mauritius. Scholars also note that small states have frequently found ways of overcoming their limited capabilities in international economic organisations (for example, in international economic regimes such as United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the WTO), through, for example, strategic coalition building. This panel explores these debates and provides various perspectives on the issue of small state capabilities and experiences in the global economy.

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