Overview of The WTO

 Objective of presentation

 WTO: The Beginnings

 Growth in Trade Underway

 A New Multilateral Organization

 The WTO: what is it?

 How does the WTO function?

 Principles of the Trading System

 Provisions for developing countries

 Progressing by packages

 The Round to end all rounds

 The WTO Agreement

 Liberalising trade in goods

 Textiles - back in the mainstream

 Agriculture: fairer markets for all

 Trade remedies

 Standards and procedures

 Administrative procedures

 Services: rules for growth and investment

 Services: the key rules

 Services: Better Access to Markets

 Intellectual Property: protection and enforcement of rights

 TRIPS: what does it cover?

 Settling Disputes: the heart of the system

 Meetings of Ministers

  Singapore Ministerial

 Geneva and Seattle Ministerials

 Doha Ministerial Meeting

 Cancun Ministerial Meeting

 Recent Developments

Services: the key rules

Most favoured nation treatment

As far as the rules are concerned, as with GATT, if you favour one, you favour all. Most favoured nation treatment means treating trading partners equally. Under GATS, if a country allows foreign competition in a sector, equal opportunities in that sector should be given to service providers from all other WTO members. Unlike in goods, however, GATS has a special element. It has lists showing where countries are temporarily not applying the "most-favoured-nation" principle of non- discrimination.

National Treatment

National treatment, or equal treatment for foreigners and nationals, is treated differently for services compared to goods. For merchandise trade, it is a general principle. In GATS, it only applies where a country has made a specific commitment to offer national treatment, and in such cases, special conditions may be imposed.

Transparency

GATS says governments must publish all relevant laws and regulations and set up enquiry points within their bureaucracies. Foreign companies and governments can then use these inquiry points to obtain information about regulations in any services sector. And they have to notify the WTO of any changes in regulations that apply to the services that come under specific commitments.

Regulations: objective and reasonable

Traded services do not face tariffs at the border. Unlike goods, they do not pass through customs houses. In practice, domestic regulations are the most significant means of exercising influence or control over services trade. Thus, the agreement says that governments should regulate services reasonably, objectively and impartially. When a government makes an administrative decision that affects a service, it should also provide an impartial means, such as a tribunal to review the decision.