About the WTO
WTO Accessions
Since the WTO was established in 1995 33 economies have joined the organization. This has resulted in over 20000 pages of legal documents defining their specific terms of membership. These accessions have brought the WTO’s total membership to 161 economies comprising more than 7 billion people and accounting for 98 per cent of world trade. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the WTO’s ever-expanding membership and the benefits of WTO accession.
Trade in Services
Over the past 20 years trade in services has become the most dynamic segment of world trade growing more quickly than trade in goods. Developing countries and transition economies have played an increasingly important role in this area increasing their share in exports of world services from a quarter to one-third over this period. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the General Agreement on Trade in Services and WTO members’ commitments.
Twenty Years of the WTO
20 Years of the WTO: A retrospective provides an overview of the first two decades of the arbiter of the multilateral trading system. A selection of compelling images and excerpts guides the reader through the history of the organization. Readers will uncover the origins mission composition functioning and key figures of the organization all the while exploring the challenges it has faced and how it has worked to meet these challenges.
The WTO at Twenty
This new edition provides an introduction to the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture outlining its key principles the work of the Agriculture Committee and how disputes have interpreted WTO law on agriculture. The publication includes the full text of the Agriculture Agreement as well as the decisions taken on agriculture at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference. A frequently asked questions section provides a handy overview of the Agriculture Agreement and the issues covered by it. The publication also provides an update on agriculture negotiations at the WTO. This publication forms part of the WTO Agreements Series a set of compact booklets on selected WTO agreements. Other publications in the series include Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade.
The Making of the TRIPS Agreement
A comprehensive account of the establishment of the World Trade Organization focusing on those who shaped its creation as well as those who have influenced its evolution. The book examines trade negotiations the WTO’s dispute settlement role the presence of coalitions and groupings within the WTO the process of joining the organization and many other topics including what lies ahead for the organization.
Status of WTO Legal Instruments
Status of WTO Legal Instruments covers the legal instruments drawn up by WTO members in relation to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization and the plurilateral trade agreements annexed to that Agreement. For each legal instrument information is provided regarding signature acceptance ratification accession and entry into force. The relevant final clauses of each instrument are also included. The cut-off point for information in this publication is end-April 2015.
Technical Barriers to Trade
WTO members have notified over 25000 draft regulatory measures to the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee over the past 20 years covering imports ranging from food to medical devices. Over 470 of these measures have undergone detailed scrutiny by WTO members in the TBT Committee. But only a handful of these issues have resulted in formal disputes proving the effectiveness of the committee process. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the TBT Agreement and the work of the TBT committee.
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Agricultural products worth over US$ 1765 billion were traded in 2013. WTO rules help to ensure that these products are traded safely and that health protection measures are not used as an excuse for protecting domestic producers. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the key provisions of the Agreement and the work of the SPS Committee.
TRIPS Agreement
The establishment of the WTO’s TRIPS (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) Agreement in 1995 changed the face of international intellectual property (IP) law and policy-making. TRIPS negotiators recognized that shortcomings and inconsistencies in IP protection can distort trade and impede its benefits. The TRIPS Agreement helps ease trade tensions about IP issues while leaving WTO members ample space to pursue diverse domestic policies. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the use of IP rights covered by the Agreement.
CITES and the WTO
This publication illustrates how the relationship between CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the WTO has evolved into a leading example of how global trade and environmental regimes can support each other to achieve shared objectives.
Government Procurement Agreement
Government procurement accounts for an average of 15 per cent or more of a country’s GDP. The WTO’s Agreement on Government Procurement covers government purchasing of goods services and construction work valued at US$ 1.7 trillion annually. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into how the Agreement came about and what it embodies.
The WTO Building
The WTO Building provides a fascinating insight into the artwork and architecture of the Centre William Rappard (CWR) home of the World Trade Organization. The book describes the origins and evolution of the CWR highlighting the many works of art created and donated to adorn the building over the years. It covers the extension of the CWR the transformation of an inner courtyard into an atrium and the latest steps taken to preserve the building’s historic artworks.
Rapport Annuel 2015
Le Rapport annuel 2015 offre un aperçu des activités de l'OMC en 2014 et au début de 2015. Il commence par un message du Directeur général de l'OMC Roberto Azevêdo suivi d'une brève présentation de la période 2014-2015 et de comptes rendus plus approfondis des activités menées par l'OMC l'année dernière.
Informe Anual 2015
El Informe anual 2015 ofrece un panorama general de las actividades de la OMC en 2014 y principios de 2015. El Informe inicia con un mensaje del Director General de la OMC Roberto Azevêdo. A continuación figuran un breve panorama de los acontecimientos de 2014 y 2015 y descripciones más detalladas de las actividades de la OMC durante el año pasado.
Annual Report 2015
The Annual Report 2015 provides an overview of WTO activities in 2014 and early 2015. The Report begins with a message from WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. This is followed by a brief overview of 2014-15 and more in-depth accounts of WTO activities over the past year.
WTO Dispute Settlement
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. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into how the dispute settlement system operates.
Trade and Environment
The creation of the WTO in 1995 marked a crucial step in the history of multilateral trade helping to open up fresh avenues of dialogue on how trade interacts with the environment and how to ensure that trade and environmental policies work hand in hand. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the interplay between trade and environment.
Training and Technical Assistance
Over 14700 participants from developing countries benefited from WTO training courses and distance learning programmes in 2014. This training has been instrumental in helping government officials gain a greater understanding of the multilateral trading system and in helping developing countries tackle the challenges of being a WTO member enforce their rights and meet their obligations.
Trade Facilitation Agreement
The Trade Facilitation Agreement is the first multilateral trade agreement to be concluded since the WTO was established 20 years ago. Once it enters into force the Agreement is expected to reduce total trade costs by more than 14 per cent for low-income countries and more than 13 per cent for upper middle-income countries by streamlining the flow of trade across borders. This brochure produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary looks into the provisions of the Agreement and its potential benefits.
A History of Law and Lawyers in the GATT/WTO
How did a treaty that emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War and barely survived its early years evolve into one of the most influential organisations in international law? This unique book brings together original contributions from an unprecedented number of eminent current and former GATT and WTO staff members including many current and former Appellate Body members to trace the history of law and lawyers in the GATT/WTO and explore how the nature of legal work has evolved over the institution's sixty-year history. In doing so it paints a fascinating portrait of the development of the rule of law in the multilateral trading system and allows some of the most important personalities in GATT and WTO history to share their stories and reflect on the WTO's remarkable journey from a 'provisionally applied treaty' to an international organisation defined by its commitment to the rule of law.