WTO - Its Origin,

•
Organisation
Aftermath of world
&
war-II
Oerational
& emergence of
Mechanism -PART-1
GATT in 1948.

• Lowering of tariffs on goods only &

modifications through several rounds with
provisions to deal with problems of
developing countries.

• Uruguay Round enlarged the scope including

other areas i.e. services, TRIPS, TRIMS
Environment, Textiles etc.

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• WTO set up to oversee URAS & a forum for
further liberalization & dispute settlement

- Single undertaking
- Predicable & secured market access
- Transparent, measurable & binding tariffs
- MFN status
- National Treatment
- Credible dispute settlement system
- Review mechanism of Trade policies
- continuing forum for trade liberalization
- special & differential treatment to
developing &
LDCs
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• India a founder member, pursuing Trade
liberalization.

• India’s active role in creating awareness

that multilateral trade negotiations
must serve development goals of
developing & LDCs.

• India’s role in articulating, designing &

developing Doha Development Agenda

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 Organization
• Umbrella Organization to oversee the
implementation of agreements under Uruguay
Round and thereafter.

• Apex body for decision making along with dispute

settlement and compliance.

• General Council performs delegated functions and

is being assisted by several councils.

• Unanimous Decision making like GATT and decision

making by majority in exceptional cases. Each
member has one vote Provision for special voting.

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• Located in Geneva & headed by Director
General who is appointed in consultation
with member countries.

• At present, it has 149 members.

• Though inter-governmental, it informs the

civil society & Private sector

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 PART –II
Ministerial Meetings –
Singapore (Dec 1996)
• Instead of focusing on Implementation
problems, developing countries opposed
inclusion of new areas such as labour clause,
trade & investment, trade & competition, trade
facilitation & govt. procurement.

• Issue of E-commerce left for Plurilateral

agreement, labour clause for ILO.

• Final Ministerial text was a compromise to

avoid failure but dissension became apparent.
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 2nd ministerial meeting –
Geneva – (June 1998)
• Celebration of golden jubilee
• General council to look into the problems
concerning implementation of URA
• Commencement of negotiations on built-in
agenda in URA
• The new subjects under study and analysis of
WTO
• More ceremonial than substantive one

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 3rd Ministerial meeting-
Seattle, USA (1999)
• Demonstrations resulting in law & order
problem & cancellation of inauguration.

• Civil societies from Developed & developing

countries opposed. Former wanted inclusion
of labour or social clause where as the latter
opposed inclusion of Singapore issues and
non-solution to the implementation
problems of URA, conference was a disaster.

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 4th Ministerial Meeting –
Doha, Qatar (2001)
• Agreement of public health and TRIPS was agreed
before the meeting

• Problems associated with developing countries in

implementation of URA were placed on front burner
and agreed that decision on new issues deferred
for 5th ministerial meeting.

• Doha Development Agenda was formulated

keeping developing countries’ interests in mind.

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 5th Ministerial Meeting –
Cancun, Mexico (2003)
• Unbridgeable differences between developed & developing countries, LDCs on
issues such as agricultural subsidies, NAMA issues, GATs etc.
• Insistence of developed countries to include even truncated Singapore issues
which was not acceptable to developing countries.
• Rise of G-20 & Collapse of Cancun.

• 6 WTO Ministerial Meeting Hongkong, Dec.2005

th

a. Abolition of Export Subsidies by 2013.

b. Abolition of Cotton Export Subsidies by 2006 and free access to cotton growing
countries
to developed markets.
c.For NAMA Modalities to be agreed by April,2006 and Final Negotiations to be
completed by July,2006
d. For Services offers to be made by Feb.2006, revised offer & acceptance by
July,2006 & negotiations by 31 Oct.2006
e.Entire Doha Development Agenda Negotiaions to be completed by Dec.2006.

Wrap UP. Hongkong hearlded a new phase of global cooperation among developed
and developing countries resulting from July ,2205 framework of DDA which is
more balanced and equitable to all WTO members.

6th WTO Ministerial Meeting Hongkong Dec.2006. 10