WTO

TheWor
ldTr
adeOr
gani
zat
ion— t
heWTO — i
sthei
nter
nat
ionalor
gani
zat
ionwhose
pr
imar
ypur
posei
stoopent
radef
ort
hebenef
itofal
l
.

TheWor
ld Tr
adeOr
gani
zat
ion(
WTO)i
stheonl
ygl
obali
nter
nat
ionalor
gani
zat
ion
deal
i
ngwi
tht
her
ulesoft
radebet
weennat
ions.Ati
tshear
tar
etheWTOagr
eement
s,
negot
iat
edandsi
gnedbyt
hebul
koft
hewor
ld’
str
adi
ngnat
ionsandr
ati
fi
edi
nthei
r
par
li
ament
s.Thegoali
stoensur
ethatt
radef
lowsassmoot
hly,pr
edi
ctabl
yand
f
reel
yaspossi
ble.

Ther
ear
eanumberofwaysofl
ook
ingatt
heWor
ldTr
adeOr
gani
zat
ion.I
tisan
or
gani
zat
ionf
ort
radeopeni
ng.I
tisa f
orum f
orgov
ernment
stonegot
iat
etr
ade
agr
eement
s.I
tisapl
acef
ort
hem t
oset
tl
etr
adedi
sput
es.I
toper
atesasyst
em of
t
rader
ules.E
ssent
ial
l
y,t
heWTO i
sapl
acewher
emembergov
ernment
str
ytosor
t
outt
het
radepr
obl
emst
heyf
acewi
theachot
her
.

TheWTO i
srunbyi
tsmembergov
ernment
s.Al
lmaj
ordeci
si
onsar
emadebyt
he
member
shi
pasawhol
e,ei
therbymi
ni
ster
s(whousual
l
ymeetatl
eastonceev
ery
t
woyear
s)orbyt
hei
rambassador
sordel
egat
es(
whomeetr
egul
arl
yinGenev
a).

Whi
l
ethe WTO i
sdr
ivenbyi
tsmemberst
ates,i
tcoul
d notf
unct
ionwi
thouti
ts
Secr
etar
iatt
ocoor
dinat
etheact
ivi
ti
es.TheSecr
etar
iatempl
oysov
er600st
aff
,and
i
tsexper
ts— l
awyer
s,economi
sts,st
ati
sti
ci
ansand communi
cat
ionsexper
ts—
assi
st WTO member
s on a dai
l
y basi
sto ensur
e,among ot
her t
hings,t
hat
negot
iat
ions pr
ogr
ess smoot
hly,and t
hatt
he r
ules ofi
nter
nat
ionalt
rade ar
e
cor
rect
lyappl
i
edandenf
orced.

TheWTO pr
ovi
desaf
orum f
ornegot
iat
ingagr
eement
sai
medatr
educi
ngobst
acl
es
t
oint
ernat
ionalt
radeandensur
ingal
evelpl
ayi
ngf
iel
dforal
l
,thuscont
ri
but
ingt
o
economi
cgr
owt
handdev
elopment
.TheWTO al
sopr
ovi
desal
egalandi
nst
it
uti
onal
f
ramewor
kfort
hei
mpl
ement
ati
onandmoni
tor
ingoft
heseagr
eement
s,aswel
lasf
or
set
tl
ingdi
sput
esar
isi
ngf
romt
hei
rint
erpr
etat
ionandappl
i
cat
ion.Thecur
rentbodyof
t
rade agr
eement
s compr
isi
ng t
he WTO consi
sts of 16 di
ff
erent mul
ti
lat
eral
agr
eement
s(t
owhi
chal
lWTO member
sar
epar
ti
es)andt
wodi
ff
erentpl
uri
l
ater
al
agr
eement
s(t
owhi
chonl
ysomeWTOmember
sar
epar
ti
es)
.

Ov
er t
he past60 year
s,t
he WTO,whi
ch was est
abl
i
shed i
n 1995,and i
ts
pr
edecessoror
gani
zat
iont
heGATThav
ehel
pedt
ocr
eat
east
rongandpr
osper
ous
i
nter
nat
ionalt
radi
ngsyst
em,t
her
ebycont
ri
but
ingt
ounpr
ecedent
edgl
obaleconomi
c
gr
owt
h.TheWTOcur
rent
lyhas 164member
s,ofwhi
ch117 ar
edev
elopi
ngcount
ri
es
orsepar
atecust
omst
err
it
ori
es.WTO act
ivi
ti
esar
esuppor
tedbyaSecr
etar
iatof
some700 st
aff
,ledbyt
heWTO Di
rect
or-Gener
al.TheSecr
etar
iati
slocat
edi
n
Genev
a,Swi
tzer
land,andhasanannualbudgetofappr
oxi
mat
elyCHF
 200 
mil
l
ion
(
$180 mi
l
li
on,€130 mi
l
li
on)
.Thet
hreeof
fi
ci
all
anguagesoft
heWTO ar
eEngl
i
sh,
F
renchandSpani
sh.

Deci
si
onsi
ntheWTO ar
egener
all
ytak
enbyconsensusoft
heent
ir
emember
shi
p.
Thehi
ghesti
nst
it
uti
onalbodyi
sthe Mi
ni
ster
ialConf
erence,whi
chmeet
sroughl
y
ev
eryt
wo year
s.A Gener
alCounci
l
 conduct
sthe or
gani
zat
ion'
s busi
ness i
nthe
i
nter
val
s bet
ween Mi
ni
ster
ialConf
erences.Bot
h oft
hese bodi
es compr
ise al
l
member
s.Speci
ali
sedsubsi
diar
ybodi
es(
Counci
l
s,Commi
tt
ees,Sub-commi
tt
ees)
,
al
socompr
isi
ngal
lmember
s,admi
ni
sterandmoni
tort
hei
mpl
ement
ati
onbymember
s
oft
hev
ari
ousWTOagr
eement
s.

Mor
especi
fi
cal
l
y,t
heWTO'
smai
nact
ivi
ti
esar
e:

— negot
iat
ingt
her
educt
ionorel
i
minat
ionofobst
acl
est
otr
ade(
impor
ttar
if
fs,ot
her
bar
rier
stot
rade)andagr
eei
ngonr
ulesgov
erni
ngt
heconductofi
nter
nat
ionalt
rade
(
e.g.ant
idumpi
ng,subsi
dies,pr
oductst
andar
ds,et
c.)
— admi
ni
ster
ingandmoni
tor
ingt
heappl
i
cat
ionoft
heWTO'
sagr
eedr
ulesf
ort
radei
n
goods,t
radei
nser
vices,andt
rade-r
elat
edi
ntel
l
ect
ual
proper
tyr
ight
s
— moni
tor
ingandr
evi
ewi
ngt
het
radepol
i
ciesofourmember
s,aswel
lasensur
ing
t
ranspar
encyofr
egi
onal
andbi
l
ater
alt
radeagr
eement
s
— set
tl
ingdi
sput
esamongourmember
sregar
dingt
hei
nter
pret
ati
onandappl
i
cat
ion
oft
heagr
eement
s
— bui
l
dingcapaci
tyofdev
elopi
ngcount
rygov
ernmentof
fi
ci
alsi
nint
ernat
ionalt
rade
mat
ter
s
— assi
sti
ng t
he pr
ocess ofaccessi
on ofsome 30 count
ri
es who ar
e notyet
member
soft
heor
gani
zat
ion
— conduct
ing economi
cresear
chand col
l
ect
ing and di
ssemi
nat
ing t
rade dat
ain
suppor
toft
heWTO'
sot
hermai
nact
ivi
ti
es
— expl
aini
ngt
oandeducat
ingt
hepubl
i
caboutt
heWTO,i
tsmi
ssi
onandi
tsact
ivi
ti
es.

TheWTO'
sfoundi
ngandgui
dingpr
inci
plesr
emai
nthepur
sui
tofopenbor
der
s,t
he
guar
ant
eeofmost
-fav
our
ed-nat
ionpr
inci
pleandnon-di
scr
imi
nat
oryt
reat
mentby
and among member
s,and a commi
tmentt
otr
anspar
ency i
nthe conductofi
ts
act
ivi
ti
es.The openi
ng ofnat
ionalmar
ket
stoi
nter
nat
ionalt
rade,wi
thj
ust
if
iabl
e
except
ionsorwi
thadequat
efl
exi
bil
i
ties,wi
l
lencour
ageandcont
ri
but
etosust
ainabl
e
dev
elopment
,rai
sepeopl
e'
swel
far
e,r
educepov
ert
y,andf
ost
erpeaceandst
abi
l
ity.
Att
hesamet
ime,suchmar
ketopeni
ngmustbeaccompani
edbysounddomest
icand
i
nter
nat
ionalpol
i
ciest
hatcont
ri
but
etoeconomi
cgr
owt
handdev
elopmentaccor
ding
t
oeachmember
'sneedsandaspi
rat
ions.

Tr
adenegot
iat
ions

TheWTO agr
eement
scov
ergoods,ser
vicesandi
ntel
l
ect
ualpr
oper
ty.Theyspel
lout
t
hepr
inci
plesofl
i
ber
ali
zat
ion,andt
heper
mit
tedexcept
ions.Theyi
ncl
udei
ndi
vi
dual
count
ri
es’commi
tment
stol
owercust
omst
ari
ff
sandot
hert
radebar
rier
s,andt
o
openandk
eepopenser
vicesmar
ket
s.Theysetpr
ocedur
esf
orset
tl
ingdi
sput
es.
Theseagr
eement
sar
enotst
ati
c;t
heyar
erenegot
iat
edf
rom t
imet
oti
meandnew
agr
eement
scanbeaddedt
othepack
age.Manyar
enowbei
ngnegot
iat
edundert
he
DohaDev
elopmentAgenda,l
aunchedbyWTO t
rademi
ni
ster
sinDoha,Qat
ar,i
n
Nov
ember2001.

I
mpl
ement
ati
onandmoni
tor
ing

WTO agr
eement
srequi
regov
ernment
stomak
ethei
rtr
adepol
i
ciest
ranspar
entby
not
if
yingt
heWTO aboutl
awsi
nfor
ceandmeasur
esadopt
ed.Var
iousWTO counci
l
s
andcommi
tt
eesseekt
oensur
ethatt
heser
equi
rement
sar
ebei
ngf
oll
owedandt
hat
WTO agr
eement
sar
ebei
ngpr
oper
lyi
mpl
ement
ed.Al
lWTO member
smustunder
go
per
iodi
cscr
uti
nyoft
hei
rtr
adepol
i
ciesandpr
act
ices,eachr
evi
ew cont
aini
ngr
epor
ts
byt
hecount
ryconcer
nedandt
heWTOSecr
etar
iat
.

Di
sput
eset
tl
ement

TheWTO’
spr
ocedur
eforr
esol
vi
ng t
radequar
rel
sundert
heDi
sput
eSet
tl
ement
Under
standi
ngi
svi
talf
orenf
orci
ngt
her
ulesandt
her
efor
eforensur
ingt
hatt
rade
f
lowssmoot
hly.Count
ri
esbr
ingdi
sput
est
otheWTO i
ftheyt
hinkt
hei
rri
ght
sunder
t
heagr
eement
sar
ebei
ngi
nfr
inged.Judgement
sbyspeci
all
yappoi
ntedi
ndependent
exper
tsar
ebasedoni
nter
pret
ati
onsoft
heagr
eement
sandi
ndi
vi
dualcount
ri
es’
commi
tment
s.

Bui
l
dingt
radecapaci
ty

WTO agr
eement
scont
ainspeci
alpr
ovi
si
onf
ordev
elopi
ngcount
ri
es,i
ncl
udi
ngl
onger
t
imeper
iodst
oimpl
ementagr
eement
sandcommi
tment
s,measur
est
oincr
easet
hei
r
t
radi
ngoppor
tuni
ti
es,andsuppor
ttohel
pthem bui
l
dthei
rtr
adecapaci
ty,t
ohandl
e
di
sput
esand t
oimpl
ementt
echni
calst
andar
ds.The WTO or
gani
zeshundr
edsof
t
echni
calcooper
ati
on mi
ssi
ons t
o dev
elopi
ng count
ri
es annual
l
y.I
t al
so hol
ds
numer
ouscour
seseachyeari
nGenev
aforgov
ernmentof
fi
ci
als.Ai
dforTr
adeai
ms
t
ohel
pdev
elopi
ngcount
ri
esdev
elopt
hesk
il
lsandi
nfr
ast
ruct
ureneededt
oexpand
t
hei
rtr
ade.

Out
reach

The WTO mai

ntai
ns r
egul
ar di
alogue wi
th non-gov
ernment
al or
gani
zat
ions,
par
li
ament
ari
ans,ot
heri
nter
nat
ionalor
gani
zat
ions,t
hemedi
aandt
hegener
alpubl
i
c
onv
ari
ousaspect
soft
heWTO andt
heongoi
ngDohanegot
iat
ions,wi
tht
heai
m of
enhanci
ngcooper
ati
onandi
ncr
easi
ngawar
enessofWTOact
ivi
ti
es.

Obj
ect
ive

TheWTO agr
eement
sar
elengt
hyandcompl
exbecauset
heyar
elegalt
ext
scov
eri
ng
awi
der
angeofact
ivi
ti
es.Butcer
tai
nsi
mpl
e,f
undament
alpr
inci
plesr
unt
hroughout
al
loft
hesedocument
sandf
ormt
hef
oundat
ionsoft
hemul
ti
lat
eral
tradi
ngsyst
em.

Non-di
scr
imi
nat
ion
A count
ryshoul
dnotdi
scr
imi
nat
ebet
weeni
tst
radi
ngpar
tner
s,andi
tshoul
dnot
di
scr
imi
nat
ebet
weeni
tsownandf
orei
gnpr
oduct
s,ser
vicesornat
ional
s.

Openi
ngt
rade

L
ower
ingt
radebar
rier
sisanobv
iouswayt
oencour
aget
rade;t
hesebar
rier
sincl
ude
cust
omsdut
ies(
ort
ari
ff
s)andmeasur
essuchasi
mpor
tbansorquot
as,t
hatr
est
ri
ct
quant
it
iessel
ect
ivel
y.

Pr
edi
ctabi
l
ityandt
ranspar
ency

F
orei
gn compani
es,i
nvest
ors and gov
ernment
s shoul
d be conf
identt
hatt
rade
bar
rier
swi
l
lnotber
aisedar
bit
rar
il
y.Wi
thst
abi
l
ityandpr
edi
ctabi
l
ity,i
nvest
menti
s
encour
aged,j
obs ar
e cr
eat
ed and consumer
s can f
ull
y enj
oy t
he benef
it
s of
compet
it
ion–suchasi
ncr
easedchoi
ceandl
owerpr
ices.

F
aircompet
it
ion

Di
scour
agi
ng“
unf
air
”pr
act
ices,suchasexpor
tsubsi
diesanddumpi
ngpr
oduct
sat
bel
ownor
malv
aluet
ogai
nmar
ketshar
e;t
hei
ssuesar
ecompl
ex,andt
her
ulest
ryt
o
est
abl
i
shwhati
sfai
rorunf
air
,andhow gov
ernment
scanr
espond,i
npar
ti
cul
arby
char
gingaddi
ti
onali
mpor
tdut
iescal
cul
atedt
ocompensat
efordamagecausedby
unf
airt
rade.

Suppor
tforl
essdev
elopedcount
ri
es

Ov
ert
hree-quar
ter
sofWTO member
sar
edev
elopi
ngeconomi
esori
ntr
ansi
ti
ont
o
mar
keteconomi
es.TheWTO agr
eement
sgi
vet
hem t
ransi
ti
onper
iodst
oadj
ustt
o
WTO pr
ovi
si
onsand,i
nthecaseoft
heTr
adeF
aci
l
itat
ionAgr
eement
,pr
ovi
def
or
pr
act
ical
suppor
tfori
mpl
ement
ati
onoft
heAgr
eement
.

Pr
otect
ionoft
heenv
ironment

TheWTO agr
eement
sper
mitmember
stot
akemeasur
est
opr
otectnotonl
ypubl
i
c,
ani
malandpl
antheal
thbutal
sot
heenv
ironment
.Howev
er,t
hesemeasur
esmustbe
appl
i
edi
nthesamewayt
obot
hnat
ionalandf
orei
gnbusi
nesses:member
smustnot
use env
ironment
alpr
otect
ionmeasur
esasa meansofi
ntr
oduci
ng di
scr
imi
nat
ory
t
radebar
rier
s.

I
ncl
usi
on

TheWTO seek
stobui
l
damor
eincl
usi
vet
radi
ngsyst
em t
hatwi
l
lal
l
ow mor
ewomen
andsmal
lbusi
nessest
opar
ti
ci
pat
eint
radeandt
oreapt
heeconomi
cbenef
it
sof
gl
obal
tradi
ng.

Par
tner
shi
ps

TheWTO mai
ntai
nsr
egul
ardi
aloguewi
thci
vi
lsoci
ety,l
abouruni
ons,uni
ver
sit
iesand
t
hebusi
nesscommuni
tyt
oenhancecooper
ati
onandbui
l
dpar
tner
shi
ps.TheWTO’
s
Tr
adeDi
aloguesi
ni
ti
ati
veandt
heannualPubl
i
cFor
um pr
ovi
deapl
atf
ormf
orci
vi
l
soci
etyandbusi
nessgr
oupst
odi
scusst
hel
atestdev
elopment
sinwor
ldt
radeandt
o
pr
oposewaysofenhanci
ngt
hemul
ti
lat
eral
tradi
ngsyst
em.

Di
git
alt
rade

TheWTOr
ecogni
zest
hegr
owi
ngi
mpor
tanceofe-commer
ce.Per
iodi
crev
iewsoft
he
WTO’
swor
kpr
ogr
amme one-commer
cear
e conduct
ed byt
he Gener
alCounci
l
based onr
epor
tsf
rom v
ari
ousWTO bodi
es.I
naddi
ti
on,a gr
oup ofl
i
ke-mi
nded
member
sar
econduct
ingnegot
iat
ionsone-commer
ce,wi
thav
iew t
odev
elopi
ng
gl
obal
digi
tal
trader
ulesandaddr
essi
ngchal
l
engesposedbyt
hedi
git
aldi
vi
de.