In June 2008, GEG launched a study of the constraints facing small developing countries in international trade negotiations, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The project seeks to enhance understanding of where the salient constraints on small states lie and how, in some cases, they have been overcome. The research methodology employed includes extensive interviews in home capitals, Geneva, and Brussels; an online questionnaire for trade officials; and four in-depth country case studies.

The final report was published in February 2010, along with an accompanying policy brief and interviews with negotiators on lessons learned.