About the WTO
Introduction
On 1 January 2008 the multilateral trading system will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary. The World Trade Report 2007 marks the occasion with a retrospective look at what has been learned from those six decades of international trade cooperation. It attempts to identify both what lessons are to be drawn from past experience and the nature of challenges to come. To address these issues, the report adopts an eclectic approach, drawing from the economic literature as well as from economic history, international relations or legal approaches. The objective of the report is to explore the lessons to be learned from the rich history of change and institutional adaptation of the multilateral system.
Cooperation with academic institutions
Members of the WTO’s Chairs Programme presented case studies on how reducing trade costs can boost growth at the Fifth Global Review of Aid for Trade in July and at the Public Forum in October. Chairs arranged a number of workshops and were active in several conferences during 2015. Their annual reports showed that the programme’s objectives are being met. The WTO implemented 12 activities under the Academic Support Programme, which aims to support academic institutions from developing countries that are not part of the Chairs Programme.
The future of the WTO
At the risk of sounding facetious, one might ask where the trading system will be in 2048. If there is anything to numerology, that is when it is next due to take a new turn. That would continue a progression that began in 1648, when the Treaty of Westphalia inaugurated a new era in international law, was followed by influential declarations on the pacific nature of trade in both 1748 (in Montesquieu’s De l’esprit des lois) and 1848 (in Mill’s Principles of Political Economy), and seemed to culminate in 1948 with GATT’s entry into force. That most recent of the ’48s was no end-of-history moment, however, as was apparent when the WTO replaced GATT less than half a century later.
Secretariat and budget
The WTO Secretariat has over 600 regular staff who coordinate the activities of the WTO. Most of the WTO’s annual budget consists of contributions by its members.
Early dispute settlement in the GATT
One of the most successful features of international trade law, as represented by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and later by the WTO, is its dispute settlement system. Already at the start of the negotiations setting up the GATT in 1947, it was realised that for a multilateral trading regime to function efficiently there needed to be rules on how to settle disputes between contracting parties or members. The GATT thus provides the basic rules for the settlement of disputes in its Articles XXII and XXIII, rules largely inspired by Article 93 of the Havana Charter, an agreement which never came into force.
Organisation, secrétariat et budget
L’Organisation mondiale du commerce a été créée en 1995 pour succéder au GATT (Accord général sur les tarifs douaniers et le commerce), qui avait été établi en 1947 après la seconde guerre mondiale. Son principal objectif est d’établir des règles régissant la politique commerciale de ses Membres en vue de favoriser l’expansion du commerce international et d’élever les niveaux de vie. Ces règles cherchent à promouvoir la nondiscrimination, la transparence et la prévisibilité dans la conduite des politiques commerciales. À cet effet, l’OMC.
Introduction
Le présent rapport annuel résume les activités menées par l’Organe d’appel et son secrétariat en 2019 et au premier semestre de 2020.
Composición del órgano de apelación
El Órgano de Apelación es un órgano permanente integrado normalmente por siete Miembros nombrados por el OSD para un mandato de cuatro años que puede renovarse solo una vez por otro período de cuatro años.
Procedural issues arising in appeals
This section summarizes the procedural issues that were addressed in the Appellate Body reports circulated during 2019 and the first quarter of 2020.
Avant-propos
Le présent rapport annuel couvre les procédures achevées en 2019 et au premier semestre 2020.
Cuestiones de procedimiento planteadas en las apelaciones
En esta sección se resumen las cuestiones de procedimiento que se abordaron en los informes del Órgano de Apelación distribuidos en 2019 y el primer trimestre de 2020.
Introduction
Il y a plusieurs manières de considérer l’Organisation mondiale du commerce : en tant qu’organisation qui s’occupe de l’ouverture commerciale, en tant qu’enceinte où les gouvernements négocient des accords commerciaux et en tant que lieu où ils règlent leurs différends commerciaux.