This term there are other uses, see WTO (disambiguation).
World Trade Organization (English)
Organisation Mondiale du Commerce (Fr.)
Organización Mundial del Comercio (Spanish)
EU Member States and the WTO
Observers
Membership:
155 (154 States and the European Union, excluding the documents have not yet ratified Russia)
Headquarters:
Geneva
Official languages:
English, French, Spanish
Managers
General manager
Pascal Lamy
Base
January 1, 1995
http://wto.org/
World Trade Organization (WTO English. World Trade Organization (WTO), Fr. Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC), App. Organización Mundial del Comercio) - an international organization established in 1995 with the aim of international trade liberalization and regulation of trade policy relations between Member States. The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), signed in 1947 and for nearly 50 years, in fact, is an international organization.
WTO is responsible for developing and implementing new trade agreements, and monitors compliance by members of all agreements signed by most countries and ratified by their parliaments. WTO bases its activities on the basis of decisions taken in the years 1986-1994 in the Uruguay Round and earlier GATT agreements. Discuss problems and make decisions on global issues and prospects for further liberalization of world trade are held in the framework of multilateral trade negotiations (rounds). To date, eight rounds of negotiations, including Uruguay, and in 2001 started the ninth in Doha, Qatar.
WTO headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland.
WTO chief (CEO) - Pascal Lamy.
In July 2008 the WTO consisted of 153 countries, whose share in total accounted for 95% of world trade.
WTO rules regulate only economic and trade issues. Attempts by the United States and several European countries to start a discussion about working conditions (which would be considered a lack of legislative protection of workers' competitive advantage) were rejected because of the protests in developing countries, who argued that such measures would only worsen the welfare of workers in connection with the reduction in the number of jobs lower income and level of competitiveness.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) - is the only international body that sets rules for trade between countries. At the heart of its activities are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by a majority of participants in international trade. These documents provide the legal framework and basic rules of the organization of international business. In general, these agreements, under which States undertake to carry out trade policy in a coherent framework with international standards. While such agreements are discussed and signed at the governmental level, their main goal is to help producers of goods and services to companies engaged in export-import operations. .WTO Facts and FiguresHeadquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.Creation Date: January 1, 1995Initiators: participants in the Uruguay Round negotiations (1986 - 94 years.)The number of participating countries: 132 countries (as of March 1998)Budget: 166 million Swiss francs in 1997(U.S. $ 93 million at the rate of 1.25 francs. / Dollar. At the end of 1996).Secretariat: 500 staff members.Director: Renato RagtieroFunctions:Monitoring the implementation of the WTO trade agreements.Creating the conditions for trade negotiations.Settlement of disputes between the parties.Control over the policies of WTO members in trade.Provide technical assistance and training for professionals from developing countries.Cooperation with other international organizations.The three main objectives WTOThe main objective of the WTO - promote smooth international trade, while preventing abuse and negative consequences. In many cases this means removing barriers to trade. It also means that individual entrepreneurs, businesses, departmental organizations should be familiar with international trade rules, and we are sure that these rules do not change abruptly and without warning. In other words, the rules and regulations must be absolutely clear, and their application - consistent.Because the texts of agreements drawn up and signed by the donor community, participating in international trade relations, they often cause considerable debate and controversy. In this regard, one of the main functions of the WTO is to serve as a mediator in trade talks."The Uruguay Round of negotiations will help to strengthen the international economy, expand trade, investment, employment, improve the welfare of the peoples of the world."Ministerial Declaration of the participating countries 'Uruguay' Round Marrakesh in April 1994.The third important aspect of the WTO dispute settlement is. Often, the parties shall enter into negotiations, pursue a variety of purposes. Agreements and contracts, including those that were concluded after lengthy negotiations mediated by the WTO, often require subsequent interpretation. It is best to resolve disputed issues in the WTO established order based on a mutually agreed legal framework and providing the parties have equal rights and opportunities. With this purpose in the texts of the agreements signed within the framework of the WTO, included an item about the rules of dispute settlement.Two years - a considerable period ofWTO was established in January 1, 1995, but the system of trade relations, adopted by the organization that appeared in the 50 years before. In 1948, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established rules for the organization of trade.The system of "multilateral" tradeSuch a system adopted by the WTO. Most states, including all major importing countries and exporting countries, are members of the system. However, a number of states it is not included, so the system is called "multilateral" rather than "global" or "world". In the context of the WTO, the word "multilateral" is used as opposed to the operations at the regional level or a small group of states.In this sense, the term "multilateral" is not used in other areas of international relations, where the "multilateral" security agreement may be concluded at the regional level.On this basis there was soon an informal, existing Lde facto | international organization, which is also known as GATT. The structure of the GATT evolved through several rounds of negotiations.The last, longest session of GATT negotiations were in Uruguay, which lasted from 1986 to 1994. and led to the creation of the WTO. While the GATT largely regulates trade in manufactured goods, the WTO and the agreements signed within the organization relate to trade in services, inventions, developments and projects (intellectual property).
