About the WTO
A brief history
The WTO began life on 1 January 1995, succeeding the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which had regulated world trade since 1948. Over the past 20 years, the WTO has made a major contribution to the strength and stability of the global economy, helping to boost trade growth, resolve numerous trade disputes and support the integration of developing countries into the trading system.
Trade negotiations: Government Procurement Agreement
On 3 December 2013, ministers of the parties to the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), meeting in Bali during the WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference, expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved towards bringing into force the revised GPA. Following ratification by 10 of the parties, the agreement finally came into force on 6 April 2014.
Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS)
The TRIPS Council carried out its regular work on promoting transparency and reviewing WTO members’ implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. It gave least-developed country (LDC) members another eight years to comply with the Agreement. The Council continued discussions on access to medicines for the poorest countries, biotechnology and technical cooperation, among other topics. The Council also exchanged information on, and debated, a number of issues raised by individual countries, such as innovation policies for small and medium-sized enterprises, climate change and, for the first time, sports.
Developments in trade policy, 1998-99
Two years ago the “Asian financial crisis” erupted in Thailand, spread rapidly to other countries in the region, and affected general investor sentiment in those and other developing countries and transition economies, notably Russia in mid-1998 and later Brazil. Output and employment contracted sharply in the countries most directly affected, in turn adversely affecting trade of their partners and, together with steep commodity price declines, trade of many other developing countries. In the past, such events could have been invoked as a justification for raising import barriers, in an attempt to contain the domestic consequences and shift the burden onto trading partners, possibly provoking countermeasures, and thereby exacerbating the downturn. However, this very serious crisis unfolded in the framework of the WTO, the strengthened multilateral trading system created by the Uruguay Round Agreements. The system, and the good sense of governments, helped to keep markets open, facilitating adjustment and providing a critical element for recovery from the Asian crisis.
Conferencia Ministerial de Nairobi
En la Décima Conferencia Ministerial de la OMC, celebrada en Nairobi del 15 al 19 de diciembre de 2015, se adoptaron varias decisiones sobre la agricultura, el algodón y las cuestiones relacionadas con los países menos adelantados. Esas decisiones incluyen un compromiso de eliminar las subvenciones a la exportación de productos agropecuarios, que el Director General, Roberto Azevêdo, aclamó como el “resultado más relevante en el ámbito de la agricultura” en los 20 años de historia de la Organización. En la Declaración de Nairobi, los Ministros reconocieron que los Miembros de la OMC “tienen opiniones diferentes” sobre la forma de abordar el futuro de las negociaciones de la Ronda de Doha. En la Conferencia también se aprobó la adhesión de Liberia y el Afganistán y se concluyó un acuerdo histórico sobre tecnología de la información.
Entender la OMC
La Organización Mundial del Comercio puede verse desde distintas perspectivas. Es una Organización para la apertura del comercio. Es un foro para que los gobiernos negocien acuerdos comerciales. Es un lugar en el que pueden resolver sus diferencias comerciales. Aplica un sistema de normas comerciales. Ayuda a los países en desarrollo a crear capacidad comercial. Fundamentalmente, la OMC es un lugar al que los gobiernos Miembros acuden para tratar de resolver los problemas comerciales que tienen unos con otros.
Comment l’OMC est structurée
Lorgane de décision suprême de lOMC est la Conférence ministérielle, qui se réunit généralement tous les deux ans.
Audit interne
En 2010, le BAI a publié deux rapports, l'un sur les activités liées aux états de paie de l'OMC , concernant l'intégrité des données, les contrôles en place et les mécanismes de responsabilité, et l'autre sur les activités d'appui administratif et logistique de l'Institut de formation et de coopération technique (IFCT).
Aplicación y vigilancia
Los consejos y comités de la OMC siguieron vigilando la aplicación de los Acuerdos de la OMC y examinando si los Miembros de la Organización respetaban sus prescripciones. También proporcionaron un foro para el debate sobre varias cuestiones, desde el comercio y el cambio climático hasta la crisis de los precios de los productos alimenticios. En 2008 se efectuaron los exámenes de las políticas comerciales de 17 Miembros de la OMC.
Resolving disputes
Over the past 20 years, nearly 500 disputes have been brought to the WTO. About half of these were resolved during bilateral discussions while the other half proceeded to a panel process, which in recent years generally takes about 14 months. Appeals are considered by the WTO’s Appellate Body and – excluding exceptionally busy periods – are completed within three months. This makes the WTO’s dispute system one of the fastest in the world.
Commerce, dette et finances
En 2012, la communauté internationale s’intéressant beaucoup à la question du commerce et des finances, il y a eu des progrès dans ce domaine. Par exemple, le Groupe de travail du commerce, de la dette et des finances de l’OMC a poursuivi l’examen de la relation entre les taux de change et le commerce en organisant au mois de mars un séminaire qui a réuni des responsables politiques et des universitaires.
Undécima Conferencia Ministerial (CM11)
La Undécima Conferencia Ministerial de la OMC se celebró en Buenos Aires (Argentina) del 10 al 13 de diciembre de 2017 y estuvo presidida por la Sra. Susana Malcorra (Argentina).
Joining the WTO
Seychelles and Kazakhstan became the 161st and 162nd members of the WTO in 2015. In December, the Tenth Ministerial Conference approved the WTO membership packages of Liberia and Afghanistan, which will become members once they have ratified their entry accords. These new accessions bring the WTO closer to its target of achieving universality, with the current membership representing 98 per cent of world trade.
Contact with the public
The WTO makes use of various channels of communication, such as the WTO website and social media, to engage with the public. The website received just over 20 million visits in 2016 while our social media channels attracted increasing numbers of followers. Video clips on the WTO website were watched over 200,000 times on average each month. Over 70 WTO publications were produced, with five book launches held at the WTO during the year. The WTO welcomed 208 visiting groups in 2016.