WTO

This joint study by the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization Secretariat on the relationship between trade rules and public health. The study explains how WTO Agreements relate to different aspects of health policies. It is meant to give a better insight into key issues for those who develop, communicate or debate policy issues related to trade and health. The study covers areas such as drugs and intellectual property rights, food safety, tobacco and many other issues which have been subject to passionate debate. In this joint effort, the first of its kind, WHO and the WTO Secretariat endeavour to set out the facts.

The "WTO Analytical Index" is a comprehensive guide to the interpretation and application of the WTO agreements by the Appellate Body, dispute settlement panels and other WTO bodies. It contains extracts of key pronouncements and findings from tens of thousands of pages of WTO jurisprudence, including panel reports, Appellate Body reports, arbitral decisions and awards, and decisions of WTO committees, councils and other WTO bodies.

"One-Page Case Summaries" provides a succinct summary of all disputes brought to the WTO. It covers the findings of the dispute panel report for each case and the subsequent Appellate Body report in cases where WTO members appealed the original ruling.

Domestic regulation of services sectors has a significant impact on services trade liberalization, which is why General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) disciplines are negotiated in the WTO. With the help of analyses and case-studies from academics, regulators and trade experts, this book explores the scope and limits of WTO legal principles to promote domestic regulatory reform. Case-studies discuss country-specific challenges and experiences of regulating important service sectors, such as finance, telecommunications, distribution, legal, education, health, postal and logistics services, as well as the role of regulatory impact assessments. The findings will interest trade officials, policy-makers, regulators, think tanks and businesses concerned with the implications of domestic regulation on access to services markets, and with the opportunities for formulating trade disciplines in this area. It is also a useful resource for academics and students researching regulatory approaches and practices in services sectors.

WTO Ministerial Conferences: Key Outcomes contains all the key outcomes from WTO Ministerial Conferences since the organization was established in 1995. Covering twelve Ministerial Conferences held between 1996 and 2022, the key outcomes include Ministerial Decisions and Declarations as well as Chairpersons’ statements. This publication also reproduces relevant Ministerial outcomes of the Uruguay Round adopted in connection with the establishment of the WTO. This publication complements The WTO Agreements, published by Cambridge University Press and the WTO, which contains the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO and its Annexes.

The sessions held during the 2011 Public Forum triggered a frank and open debate on the principal global challenges for the multilateral trading system. The Forum also sought to identify practical and effective solutions and ways forward to enable the WTO to adapt and respond effectively to our fast-changing world. A chapter is devoted to each of the sessions held during the three-day programme.

WTO working papers usually represent research in progress. Such research may be conducted in the preparation of WTO Secretariat reports, studies or other material for WTO members. The papers are circulated for comment because the WTO considers critical review of professional research to be extremely important.

In brief, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.

So-called disruptive technologies, such as blockchain, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, have the potential to transform border management and the conduct of international trade. This publication explores how these advanced technologies can be used to improve the efficiency of Customs processes and to ease the flow of goods across borders.