S EC R E TA R I AT A N D B U D G E T

How the WTO is structured

The WTO’s top-level decision-making At the next level, the Goods Council, Services
body is the Ministerial Conference, Council and Intellectual Property (TRIPS)
which usually meets every two years. Council report to the General Council.

Numerous specialized committees, working

groups and working parties deal with the

B
elow this is the General Council
(normally ambassadors and heads of
delegation in Geneva, and sometimes
officials sent from members’ capitals), which
meets several times a year in the Geneva
headquarters. The General Council also meets
as the Trade Policy Review Body and the
Dispute Settlement Body.
individual agreements and other areas such as
the environment, development, membership
applications and regional trade agreements.
All WTO members may participate in all
councils and committees, with the exceptions of
the Appellate Body, Dispute Settlement panels
and plurilateral committees.

Ministerial Conference
General Council General Council
meeting as Trade Policy meeting as Dispute
Review Body Settlement Body

General Council

Appellate Body
Committees on Dispute Settlement Panels
Trade and Environment
Trade and Development
Sub-Committee on Least-
Developed Countries Council for Trade Council for Trade-Related Council for Trade Trade Negotiations
Regional Trade Agreements in Goods Aspects of Intellectual in Services Committee
Balance of Payments Property Rights
Restrictions
Budget, Finance and Committees on Committees on Doha Development
Administration Agenda Negotiations:
Agriculture Trade in Financial
Working parties on Anti-Dumping Practices Services Trade Negotiations
Accession Customs Valuation Specific Committee and
Import Licensing Commitments its bodies
Working groups on
Market Access Working parties on Special Sessions of
Trade, debt and finance Rules of Origin
Trade and technology transfer Domestic Regulation Services Council/
Safeguards
GATS Rules TRIPS Council/
Inactive: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Dispute Settlement
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
Relationship between Body/ Agriculture
Technical Barriers to Trade
Trade and Investment Committee/Trade
Trade Facilitation
Interaction between Trade and Development
Trade-Related Investment Measures
and Competition Committee/ Trade
Working party on and Environment
Plurilaterals
State Trading Enterprises Committee
Trade in Civil Aircraft
Plurilateral Committee Negotiation groups on
Information Technology Government Procurement Market Access
Agreement Committee Committee Rules

Key
Reporting to General Council (or a subsidiary)
Reporting to Dispute Settlement Body
Plurilateral committees inform the General Council or Goods Council of their activities, although these agreements are not signed by all WTO members
Trade Negotiations Committee reports to General Council

www.wto.org/org2 AN N UAL REPORT 211