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

Doha Ministerial Meeting

Meeting in Qatar 2001

The Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. At this meeting, Ministers adopted a broad work programme for the coming years. It is called the Doha Development Agenda. It envisages negotiations on improving market access and a variety of other challenges facing the trading system. The three-year work programme places the development of developing countries at its core.

 Improving market access

As far as agriculture is concerned, the negotiations are to open markets, and reduce - with a view to phasing out - all forms of export subsidies and trade distorting domestic farm support. Market access for industrial goods was declared to be another priority, and the negotiating mandate focuses on reducing or eliminating tariff peaks and escalation as well as the removal of other non-tariff barriers. Particular attention is to be paid to products of export interest to developing countries.

Singapore issues to the fore

It was agreed that negotiations on the "Singapore issues" will take place after the next Ministerial Conference, but only on the basis of a decision by explicit consensus to be taken at that session on the modalities for negotiations.

Declaration on TRIPS

A Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health was also adopted by Ministers. This was in response to concerns expressed about the possible implications of the TRIPS Agreement for access to drugs for people in developing countries. The Declaration emphasizes that the TRIPS Agreement does not - and should not - prevent Members from taking measures to protect public health and reaffirms the right of Members to use the full provisions of the TRIPS Agreement which provide flexibility for this purpose.

 Trade and the Environment

A commitment on the environment was also taken, and governments will negotiate the relationship between existing WTO rules and the trade obligations contained in multilateral environmental agreements. They will also negotiate the reduction or elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to environmental goods and services.