WTO

The Information and Technology Agreement (ITA) was finalized at the first WTO Ministerial Conference, in Singapore, in 1996, committing its participants to completely eliminate duties on certain information technology products. In its 15 years, the ITA has promoted affordable access to a wide range of technologies, encouraging closer cooperation between developed and developing countries. As production networks become increasingly global, the ITA will continue to facilitate the shift from products made in a specific country to “made in the world”. To mark the 15th anniversary of the ITA, this publication charts the political and technical obstacles which were overcome during the creation of the Agreement and the issues which still need to be resolved. It details the establishment of the ITA Committee and how the Agreement is implemented, and investigates the impact the ITA has had on trade liberalization and innovation. The publication also examines the effect information technology has had on global production networks and what this means for developing countries and the ITA.

The WTO has produced a series of brochures to mark its 20th anniversary. Each brochure looks into a specific area of WTO activity, highlighting the achievements over the past 20 years.

The Handbook provides the first detailed explanation and analysis of the process whereby governments become Members of the WTO. The WTO Agreement, which came into force on 1 January, 1995, provides few details on how this process is to take place. Consequently, the steps in the detailed negotiations leading up to access have evolved through the actual negotiations for governments which have become Members of the WTO since 1995. This handbook is unique in providing an account of how the process evolved and in offering details on the process as it is now applied. Moreover, the input of the WTO Secretariat into the preparation of the guide provides information not available until now to anyone outside the Secretariat. The Secretariat has supported production of this handbook in the hope it will serve as a useful source of reference for officials from acceding governments, WTO Members, academia, and the general public.

This guide to the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement is based on the authors' experiences of teaching its finer points to customs officials and policy-makers around the world. Covering the methods of valuation and the provisions on enforcement, implementation and dispute settlement, the authors give practical examples, explain interpretative decisions of national and international customs bodies, and analyse the history of its negotiation. Written as a learning tool, it helps both new and experienced policy-makers, customs officials, importers and exporters to gain a deeper understanding of the Agreement's function and aims.

The WTO dispute settlement system has become one of the most dynamic, effective and successful international dispute settlement systems in the world over the past twenty years. This second edition of A Handbook on the WTO Dispute Settlement System has been compiled by the dispute settlement lawyers of the WTO Secretariat with a view to providing a practice-oriented account of the system. In addition to describing the existing rules and procedures, this accessibly written handbook explains how those rules and procedures have been interpreted by dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body, and how they have evolved over time. The handbook provides practical information to help various audiences understand the day-to-day operation of the WTO dispute settlement system.

This Handbook describes the historical and legal background to the TRIPS Agreement, its role in the WTO and its institutional framework. It reviews the following areas: general provisions and basic principles; copyright and related rights; trademarks; geographical indications; patents; industrial designs, layout-designs, undisclosed information and anti-competitive practices; enforcement of IPRs; dispute settlement in the context of the TRIPS Agreement; TRIPS and public health; and current TRIPS issues. It contains a guide to TRIPS notifications by WTO members and describes how to access the official documentation relating to the TRIPS Agreement and related issues. Furthermore, it includes the legal texts of the TRIPS Agreement and the relevant provisions of the WIPO conventions referred to in it, as well as subsequent relevant WTO instruments and related non-WTO treaties. The new edition covers the public health revision of the Agreement that entered into force in 2017 and provides updates on other recent developments.

This Guide to Trade Policy Analysis provides the main tools for the analysis of trade policy. Written by experts with practical experience in the field, this publication outlines the major concepts of trade policy analysis and contains practical guidance on how to apply them to concrete policy questions.

Une nouvelle brochure présentée le 27 juillet souligne le ferme engagement des Membres de l’OMC, quel que soit leur niveau de développement, en faveur de la transparence et de la prévention des différends commerciaux. Les renseignements contenus dans cette brochure sont fondés sur l’examen de la mise en œuvre, par les Membres, de l’Accord sur l’application des mesures sanitaires et phytosanitaires (Accord SPS), réalisé en 2020.

Accord sur les obstacles techniques au commerce L’Accord sur les obstacles techniques au commerce (OTC) vise à faire en sorte que les règlements, les normes et les procédures d’essai et de certification appliqués par les Membres de l’OMC ne créent pas d’obstacles non nécessaires au commerce. Examen annuel de l’Accord OTC Le Comité des obstacles techniques au commerce de l’OMC recueille chaque année des données sur la mise en oeuvre de l’Accord OTC. Les renseignements contenus dans la présente brochure sont basés sur l’examen de 2022.

Acuerdo sobre Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio El Acuerdo sobre Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio tiene por objeto velar por que los reglamentos, las normas y los procedimientos de prueba y certificación aplicados por los Miembros de la OMC no creen obstáculos innecesarios al comercio. Examen anual del Acuerdo OTC El Comité de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio de la OMC recopila anualmente datos sobre la aplicación del Acuerdo OTC. La información que figura en este folleto se basa en el examen de 2022.

El informe Adaptación a la era del comercio digital: desafíos y oportunidades analiza cómo la rápida adopción de tecnologías digitales podría ayudar a los países en desarrollo a aumentar su participación en el comercio mundial. También examina la manera en que las políticas nacionales y la cooperación internacional pueden contribuir a crear un futuro más próspero e inclusivo para esos países. Esta publicación marca la conclusión de la segunda fase del Programa de Cátedras OMC (PCO). En ella se recogen las contribuciones de los titulares de las Cátedras OMC (fases I y II), los miembros del Consejo Consultivo, el equipo del PCO de la OMC y otros funcionarios de la Secretaría de la Organización. El PCO es una parte importante de las iniciativas de la OMC destinadas a crear capacidad comercial y colaborar con las instituciones académicas de los países en desarrollo.

Twenty-first century Africa is in a process of economic transformation, but challenges remain in areas such as structural reform, governance, commodity pricing and geopolitics. This book looks into key questions facing the continent, such as how Africa can achieve deeper integration into the rules-based multilateral trading system and the global economy. It provides a range of perspectives on the future of the multilateral trading system and Africa's participation in global trade and underlines the supportive roles that can be played by multilateral and regional institutions during such a rapid and uncertain transition. This volume is based on contributions to the Fourth China Round Table on WTO Accessions and the Multilateral Trading System, which took place just before the WTO's Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in December 2015.

This report analyses the evolution of Aid for Trade flows in a context marked by crises of unprecedented magnitude, with significant impacts on trade and investment. Under the theme “Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade”, it shows that Aid for Trade was an important tool in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and can help address emerging challenges, such as the environmental and digital transitions while ensuring that no one is left behind. Recent data indicate that a shift is under way to put sustainability, including green transition and women’s empowerment, at the heart of Aid for Trade, and point to its potential to support an inclusive and sustainable recovery.

The transition to clean energy offers opportunities for developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) to exploit the export potential of this transition and to accelerate their growth prospects. The WTO-led Aid for Trade initiative provides significant support to these economies to help them develop their energy sectors and transition to clean energy. However, sustained support is required to ensure that firms benefit from the trade opportunities that will emerge as a result of the clean energy transition. This report highlights the role that Aid for Trade can play in mobilizing financial resources to deliver targeted assistance and to help developing economies unlock export opportunities created by clean energy. It also underlines the role of development partners in helping firms integrate into clean energy value chains by investing in the production of clean energy technologies, such as green hydrogen and solar power.

This special compilation describes air transport services from a regulatory and economic point of view, with a special focus on market access questions. Each volume contains original material and up-to-date insights, written on the basis of close cooperation with industry professionals. It contains the documentation prepared by the WTO Secretariat for the WTO Membership in the framework of a quinquennal review process of the air transport sector. It deals with services "auxiliary" to air transport, namely maintenance repair and overhaul, airlines' ticket distribution, franchising, leasing, ground handling ,airport management and air navigation services.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic constitutes an extraordinary global public health crisis. It has created a pressing need for intensified global cooperation. The pandemic has from its outset raised issues at the crossroads of public health policy, trade policy and the framework for and management of innovation, including those relating to intellectual property rights. The second edition of the joint WHO, WIPO and WTO publication “Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation: Intersections between public health, intellectual property and trade”, published in 2020, included a special insert mapping the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the integrated health, trade and IP policy framework set out in the study. This update revises the information contained in the last version launched in October 2021 in the light of more recent developments as of 17 May 2023.

The WTO Annual Report 2022 provides a comprehensive account of the WTO's activities in 2021 and early 2022. It also covers the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), originally scheduled for end-2021 but postponed until June 2022. The Report opens with a message from Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and an overview of the past year, followed by in-depth accounts of the WTO’s main areas of activity in 2021 and early 2022, including spotlights highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on world trade and the 2021 Public Forum

This report covers WTO activities in 2023 and the early part of 2024. At the start of the report, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala reflects on the current challenges facing world trade and the role of the WTO in helping the world address these challenges. The report also covers the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, which took place from 26 February to 2 March 2024.

Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body, the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered, as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings, including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals, as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed, the percentage of panel reports appealed, and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.

Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body, the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered, as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings, including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals, as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed, the percentage of panel reports appealed, and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.

Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body, the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered, as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings, including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals, as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed, the percentage of panel reports appealed, and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.

Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body, the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered, as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings, including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals, as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed, the percentage of panel reports appealed, and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.

Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body, the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered, as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings, including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals, as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed, the percentage of panel reports appealed, and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.

Annual reports on the work of the Appellate Body and its Secretariat have been issued since 2003. These reports contain information about the composition of the Appellate Body, the appeals filed and the Appellate Body reports circulated during the period covered, as well as technical assistance and other developments. The annual reports also provide up-to-date information on a range of topics relating to appellate proceedings, including the subject matter of disputes and procedural issues raised in appeals, as well as statistics on the WTO agreements addressed, the percentage of panel reports appealed, and the participation of WTO Members in appeals. It also contains key speeches delivered by AB Members during the covered period.