A propos de l’OMC

En 2012, le Comité du commerce et de l’environnement (CCE) a reçu des informations et a eu un débat sur les faits nouveaux en matière de politique environnementale, allant de l’atténuation du changement climatique à la pêche, en passant par la diffusion des technologies environnementales. Le Secrétariat de l’OMC a publié sa Base de données sur l’environnement 2009 sous forme électronique et a organisé son premier cours avancé sur le commerce et l’environnement.

Currently, the WTO has 161 members. They are listed below according to their designated full names as at the date of membership, or according to the names as subsequently notified to the WTO Secretariat. In line with the practice of the WTO Secretariat, the remaining sections of this publication use the names of members as listed in the latest revision to document WT/INF/43.

En 2011, siguieron estrechándose las relaciones con las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) por medido de diversas iniciativas, como el Foro Público anual de la OMC, que se amplió considerablemente, la puesta en marcha del Programa de Embajadores de la Juventud de la OMC y las reuniones de información con ONG organizadas por la Secretaría de la Organización.

L’élaboration de la deuxième phase du programme du Cadre intégré renforcé (CIR) a commencé en 2015. Ce programme vise à aider les pays les moins avancés (PMA) à faire du commerce un outil de croissance, de développement et de réduction de la pauvreté. La deuxième phase, qui durera de 2016 à 2022, a été lancée officiellement à l’occasion du cinquième Examen global de l’Aide pour le commerce, en juillet. Une Conférence d’annonce de contributions au CIR a eu lieu en décembre à Nairobi. Elle a abouti à des promesses de contributions d’un montant d’environ 90 millions de dollars EU. Le programme du CIR a été incorporé dans les Objectifs de développement durable (ODD) de l’ONU.

En 2015 aumentó considerablemente el número de representantes de empresas que participaron en el Foro Público anual de la OMC, lo que demuestra el gran interés de los grupos empresariales y las empresas en contribuir al debate sobre las actividades de la Organización. La comunidad empresarial también estuvo bien representada en la Décima Conferencia Ministerial, celebrada en Nairobi. De las organizaciones no gubernamentales acreditadas para la Conferencia, 23 eran asociaciones profesionales.

En 2014 Jonathan Dingel, de los Estados Unidos, y Claudia Steinwender, de Austria, fueron los ganadores ex aequo del Premio OMC de Ensayo para Jóvenes Economistas. En su artículo, Dingel planteaba por qué los países con ingresos más altos exportan mercancías de mayor calidad, mientras que Steinwender se centró en los efectos de una mejor transmisión de la información sobre el mercado y los precios en la eficacia del mercado y el comercio.

En 2009, l'Organe d'examen des politiques commerciales (OEPC) a procédé à l'examen de 21 Membres de l'OMC: Guatemala, Japon, Brésil, Fidji, Union européenne à 27 membres, Mozambique, Îles Salomon, Nouvelle-Zélande, Maroc, Guyana, Zambie, Chili, Maldives, pays membres de l'Union douanière d'Afrique australe (Afrique du Sud, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibie et Swaziland), Niger et Sénégal (examen conjoint) et Géorgie. Les remarques finales du Président relatives à ces examens sont reproduites ci-après.

In the early days of trade, seafarers relied on a combination of navigational skills, courage and good instincts to steer their way through turbulent waters. In more recent times, technology has transformed the way we circumnavigate the globe but the basic need to steer a steady course through stormy seas remains the same.

The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) – the Aid for Trade vehicle to help developing countries implement sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards – continued to increase awareness, mobilize resources, strengthen collaboration and identify and disseminate good practice to enhance the effectiveness of SPS-related technical cooperation. It also focused on providing support and funding for the development and implementation of projects that promote compliance with international SPS requirements. Contributions to the STDF totalled USD 4.7 million in 2012.

A discussant is expected to play variations on the themes composed by the main speaker. Alternatively, he may, however, be like the pianist in a New Orleans jazz band who fills with a few notes the silences between two improvisations. I find it difficult to disagree with the descriptive/ analytical part of Ms Hughes’ paper, as well as with her references to the proposals made in the framework of the negotiations to reform the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU). Rather, I will try to fill the moments of silence in Ms Hughes’ report.

The first paragraph of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) states that sustainable development and the protection of the environment are central objectives of the multilateral trading system.

À la quatrième Conférence ministérielle de l’OMC, tenue à Doha (Qatar) en novembre 2001, les Membres de l’OMC sont convenus de lancer un nouveau cycle de négociations commerciales. Ils sont également convenus d’entreprendre des travaux sur d’autres questions, en particulier la mise en oeuvre des Accords actuels de l’OMC. L’ensemble est appelé Programme de Doha pour le développement. Les négociations se déroulent dans le cadre du Comité des négociations commerciales (CNC) et de ses organes subsidiaires, qui sont des conseils et comités permanents réunis en session extraordinaire ou des organes de négociation créés spécialement. Les organes de négociation font rapport au CNC qui supervise la conduite générale de leurs travaux.

A strengthening of world economic output in 1999 reversed the slowdown of world trade in the first half of 1999 and led to a dynamic expansion of trade in the second half. For the year as a whole, the real growth of world trade remained unchanged from the preceding year and was below the average trade expansion recorded throughout the 1990s. Although trade growth continued to exceed both the growth in world commodity output and world GDP, the excess margin between the growth rates remained smaller in 1999 than those observed during the 1990–1997 period.

In 2014, the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB) reviewed the trade policies and practices of 21 WTO members in 13 meetings. In all, the TPRB had carried out 405 reviews by the end of 2014, involving 149 WTO members.

L’organe de décision suprême de l’OMC est la Conférence ministérielle, qui se réunit généralement tous les deux ans.

2014 fue un año de intensa actividad para el Órgano de Apelación, al serle presentadas siete apelaciones y al haber emitido informes con respecto a cinco de ellas. El Órgano de Solución de Diferencias (OSD) nombró al séptimo Miembro del Órgano de Apelación, Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing (Mauricio), para un mandato de cuatro años.

La première Conférence ministérielle de l’OMC s’est tenue à Singapour entre le 9 et le 13 décembre 1996 et a été présidée par M. Yeo Cheow Tong (Singapour).

Le 1er janvier 2008, le système commercial multilatéral aura 60 ans. Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial 2007 marque cette occasion par une rétrospective des enseignements tirés de ces six décennies de coopération commerciale internationale. Pour savoir quels sont ces enseignements, le rapport passe en revue une histoire riche en changements et en adaptations institutionnels. Il tente d’identifier à la fois les leçons à tirer de l’expérience passée et la nature des défis à venir. C’est là une tâche ambitieuse. Le chapitre a été divisé en trois grandes sections. La première (section B) commence par un bref historique de ce qu’a été la politique commerciale au cours des 150 années qui ont précédé la création du GATT. Dans le reste de cette section, les auteurs prennent du recul par rapport aux événements pour examiner ce que la littérature théorique peut nous apprendre sur les raisons pour lesquelles les nations choisissent de coopérer entre elles dans le domaine du commerce. Il s’agit d’un examen éclectique qui s’inspire des points de vue exprimés dans les ouvrages d’économie, d’économie politique, de sciences politiques et de relations internationales, ainsi que de l’analyse juridique. L’objectif est de montrer qu’en dépit des différences d’approche méthodologique, ces cadres conceptuels ont plusieurs caractéristiques communes intéressantes. De plus, ils proposent des éclairages différents sur ce qui peut motiver la coopération.

En 2015, el Consejo del Comercio de Mercancías se ocupó de un gran número de preocupaciones comerciales, lo que muestra que tiene una función cada vez más importante como foro donde se plantean preocupaciones relativas a medidas, políticas y prácticas consideradas potencialmente discriminatorias o restrictivas del comercio. También examinó una serie de solicitudes de exención y tomó nota de una lista actualizada y completa de las notificaciones presentadas por los Miembros de la OMC. Filipinas formuló una declaración sobre los obstáculos a que hacen frente las microempresas y las pequeñas y medianas empresas para poder participar en los mercados regionales y mundiales. Colombia expuso las conclusiones de una presentación sobre el comercio ilícito y la lucha contra el blanqueo de dinero.

I joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) on a very cold day in March 1974 as a temporary member of staff recruited along with others to help developing countries elaborate a negotiating strategy for the Tokyo Round negotiations. The Director-General was Olivier Long; he was only the second Director-General since the establishment of the organisation in 1948, underscoring the sense of continuity typical of its earlier history. The GATT in 1974 consisted of two departments, A and B, and its staff amounted to fewer than a hundred officers, counting both professional and general services. Department A dealt with trade policy matters and Department B with development policy. Legal matters and dispute settlement proper was exclusively under Department A. Department B essentially dealt with Part IV of the GATT, dealing with trade and development, which had the connotation of a best-endeavour type of obligation, not a legally binding one.

En 2013, la neuvième Conférence ministérielle de l’OMC a approuvé l’ensemble de textes relatifs à l’accession du Yémen. L’accession officielle est désormais soumise à la ratification du Protocole d’accession par le Parlement du Yémen et à la notification et au dépôt ultérieurs de l’instrument d’acceptation du Protocole auprès du Directeur général de l’OMC. Les modalités et les conditions négociées contiennent des engagements couvrant toutes les règles de l’OMC.

There are a number of ways of looking at the World Trade Organization: as an organization for trade-opening, a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements, and a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates the global system of trade rules and helps developing countries to build their trade capacity. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.

In the 20 years since the birth of the World Trade Organization, the world has seen huge changes. New centres of economic growth have emerged. New technologies have proliferated. Communication has been revolutionised. In 1995, less than 0.8 per cent of the world’s population used the internet, while in 2015 it was around 44 per cent.

La troisième Conférence ministérielle de l’OMC s’est tenue à Seattle (États-Unis) du 30 novembre au 3 décembre 1999 et a été présidée par Mme Charlene Barshefsky (États-Unis).

This chapter deals with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that set out standards for protection of undisclosed information, including test data (Article 39 of Section 7 in Part II of the Agreement) and measures for the control of anti-competitive practices in licences (Article 40 of Part II of the TRIPS Agreement). It also deals with the suppression of unfair competition, a matter which is specifically referred to in Articles 22 (relating to protection of geographical indications) and 39 (relating to protection of undisclosed information), and also arises through the reference in Article 2 of the TRIPS Agreement to the Paris Convention: Article 10bis of that convention sets out general standards for the suppression of unfair competition. As for all sections of Part II, these sections have to be read together with the relevant provisions of pre-existing treaties in the area of international IP law, which are incorporated by reference into the TRIPS Agreement. Reference will be made to these treaties in the sections below. This chapter will also have to be read in conjunction with other relevant provisions of the TRIPS Agreement explained in other chapters (such as concerning non-discrimination, enforcement of IP rights and the administration of IP). Wherever appropriate, cross-references are made to other chapters.

This chapter deals with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that set out standards for protection of industrial designs (Articles 25 and 26 in Section 4 of Part II of the Agreement) and protection of layout-designs or topographies of integrated circuits (Articles 35 to 38 in Section 6 of Part II). As for all sections of Part II, these sections have to be read together with the relevant provisions of pre-existing treaties in the area of international IP law, which are incorporated by reference into the TRIPS Agreement. Reference will be made to these treaties in the sections below. This chapter will also have to be read in conjunction with other relevant provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that are explained in other chapters (such as those concerning non-discrimination, enforcement of IP rights, and the administration of IP). Wherever appropriate, cross-references are made to other chapters.

In 2009, 37 new notifications on regional trade agreements (RTAs) (which include bilateral and inter-regional free trade agreements) were received by the WTO. This is the largest number of RTA notifications in any single year since the WTO’s establishment in 1995. Of the 457 RTAs notified to the WTO as of 31 December 2009, 266 were in force.

En 2011 se presentaron ante el Órgano de Apelación nueve apelaciones de informes de grupos especiales —un aumento con respecto a las tres de 2010-, de un total de 11 informes para los cuales expiró el plazo de 60 días para la adopción o apelación a lo largo del año. Las nueve apelaciones se referían a procedimientos de grupos especiales iniciales. No se formuló ninguna apelación relativa al cumplimiento de resoluciones y recomendaciones anteriores. En diciembre se nombró a dos nuevos Miembros del Órgano de Apelación.

There are a number of ways of looking at the World Trade Organization. It is an organization for trade opening. It is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of trade rules. It helps developing countries build their trade capacity. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.

The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for trade-related assistance to least-developed countries (LDC s), which became effectively operational in 2009, made significant progress in 2010 in relation to project delivery, outreach and institution building. By the end of the year the EI F was working with 46 LDC s and one ‘graduated’ country, and the 22 current donors to the multi-donor trust fund had contributed US$ 120 million.

Le Comité du commerce et du développement de l’OMC a continué à travailler principalement sur le lien entre le commerce et le développement. Il a examiné la mise en oeuvre des dispositions relatives au traitement spécial et différencié pour les pays en développement qui figurent dans les Accords et décisions de l’OMC, ainsi que la participation des économies en développement au commerce mondial. Le Comité a aussi continué à mettre en oeuvre le Programme de travail sur le commerce électronique. Parmi les questions clés examinées par le Sous-Comité des pays les moins avancés (PMA) figuraient les activités de renforcement des capacités, l’accès aux marchés pour les PMA et l’assistance technique.

This chapter is neither an academic article for scholars nor a practical guide for practitioners. This is a chapter in which I express some reflections on the operations and functioning of the Appellate Body based on my experience as a member of this body in its early days. It has been almost fifteen years since I left the Appellate Body and many things must have changed. Also, my memories of the experience are becoming a bit blurred. However, I hope that this chapter is of some relevance today.

En 2015, el Instituto de Formación y Cooperación Técnica (IFCT) de la OMC llevó a cabo 321 actividades de asistencia técnica destinadas a ayudar a los funcionarios públicos a comprender mejor las normas de la OMC y el sistema multilateral de comercio. El número de participantes en estas actividades de formación fue de unos 14.900, frente a 14.700 en 2014. Los países menos adelantados (PMA) se beneficiaron del 52% de las actividades de asistencia técnica. Casi la mitad de los participantes accedió a la formación por medio de los recursos de aprendizaje en línea de la plataforma electrónica de la OMC.

The WTO’s top-level decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years.

En 2012, el Marco Integrado mejorado (MIM) -que es el programa de Ayuda para el Comercio destinado a los países menos adelantados (PMA)- fue calificado por un equipo independiente como “altamente pertinente” para las prioridades comerciales y de desarrollo de los PMA. Por lo tanto, el Comité Directivo del MIM prorrogó el mandato del MIM hasta finales de 2015, con un plazo operativo complementario para la ejecución de proyectos hasta 2017. Hasta el momento, 43 países, frente a 40 a finales de 2011, han recibido asistencia para fortalecer sus instituciones comerciales y hacer frente a las dificultades comerciales. El MIM recibe fondos de donantes que, al 31 de diciembre de 2012, habían prometido contribuciones por valor de 240 millones de dólares EE.UU. y aportado unos 178 millones de dólares EE.UU. (frente a 155 millones de dólares EE.UU. en 2011).

This publication contains the text of the WTO’s founding agreement, the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, and its Annexes, including all amendments and additions since its entry into force until September 2017. These include an amendment to the WTO’s intellectual property agreement (TRIPS Agreement) aimed at improving developing countries’ access to medicines, the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which entered into force in February 2017, an amendment adopted in July 2017 to extend the frequency of peer review periods under the Trade Policy Review Mechanism as of 2019, and the amended Government Procurement Agreement. This publication updates and replaces The Legal Texts: The Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, which was first printed in 1994.

The Third Global Review of Aid for Trade, held on 18-19 July 2011, showed that traderelated assistance has helped to alleviate poverty by increasing export performance and employment. In 2009, Aid for Trade commitments reached approximately US$ 40 billion, a 60 per cent increase from the 2002-05 baseline period. However, the review also highlighted the need to measure the effectiveness of Aid for Trade and to ensure that it is always compatible with the goals of sustainable development.

The Appellate Body circulated reports in two disputes during 2013, both involving Canadian measures in the renewable energy sector. Canada had appealed the findings of the panel reports in both cases earlier in the year. One arbitration proceeding concerning the reasonable period of time for implementation of Dispute Settlement Body recommendations and rulings was carried out in 2013. Two members of the Appellate Body, Ricardo Ramírez-Hernández and Peter Van den Bossche, completed their first terms and were reappointed. David Unterhalter completed his second and final term. A new member of the Appellate Body will be appointed in 2014.

In 2013, the WTO received 35 new notifications of regional trade agreements (RTAs), down from 37 in 2012. The notifications involved 22 RTAs. Three of these were between developed partners, with another nine involving developed and developing partners. The remaining ten were between developing country partners. The Americas was the region with the highest number of notifications – 12 – followed by Europe with seven.