WTO: decision-making and conflicts

Mikey, WTO guru

What’s this WTO ??

world travelers org

world trade organization

DUH!!

Turn back the clock

1940s

GATT 23

countries

50s

US refuse ITO

charter

60s

Kennedy

70-80s

Tokyo

Uruguay

90s

WTO

Doha

tariffs onlydiversifying

Turn back the clockDisco Inferno!

1940s

GATT 23

countries

50s

US refuse ITO

charter

60s

Kennedy

70-80s

Tokyo

Uruguay

90s

WTO

Doha

tariffs onlydiversifying

WTO Headquarters151 countries

Forum

Administering

Training

Monitoring

Cooperation

Handling

Head: Pascal Lamy (Director-General)

Last printed 31/03/2006 3:01 PM

WTO structure All WTO members may participate in all councils, committees, etc, except Appellate Body, Dispute Settlement panels, and plurilateral committees.

Committees on Market Access Agriculture Sanitary and Phytosanitary

Measures Technical Barriers to Trade Subsidies and Countervailing

Measures Anti-Dumping Practices Customs Valuation Rules of Origin Import Licensing Trade-Related Investment

Measures Safeguards

Working party on State-Trading Enterprises

Doha Development Agenda: TNC and its bodies

Trade Negotiations Committee

Special Sessions of Services Council / TRIPS Council / Dispute Settlement

Body / Agriculture Committee and Cotton Sub-Committee / Trade and Development Committee / Trade and Environment Committee

Negotiating groups on Market Access / Rules / Trade Facilitation

General Council meeting as Dispute Settlement

Body

General Council meeting as Trade Policy Review

Body

Ministerial Conference

Appellate Body Dispute Settlement panels

Committees on Trade and Environment Trade and Development

Subcommittee on Least-Developed Countries

Regional Trade Agreements Balance of Payments

Restrictions Budget, Finance and

Administration

Working parties on Accession

Working groups on Trade, debt and finance Trade and technology

transfer (Inactive: (Relationship between

Trade and Investment (Interaction between

Trade and Competition Policy

(Transparency in Government Procurement)

Council for Trade in Goods

Council for Trade-Related Aspects

of Intellectual Property Rights

Committees on Trade in Financial Services Specific Commitments

Working parties on Domestic Regulation GATS Rules

Plurilaterals Trade in Civil Aircraft Committee Government Procurement Committee

Council for Trade in Services

Key Reporting to General Council (or a subsidiary) Reporting to Dispute Settlement Body Plurilateral committees inform the General Council or Goods Council of their activities, although these agreements are not signed by all WTO members Trade Negotiations Committee reports to General Council

The General Council also meets as the Trade Policy Review Body and Dispute Settlement Body

Plurilateral Information Technology Agreement

Committee

General Council

zzz....

Liberalize trade

Expanded trade: 14 times

Exports 1950s: 8% world production

today: 26%

liberalized trade providing more annual growth

Successstories

Criticisms

Riots in major cities

100s of 1000s protesting

Chaos

Criticisms

Riots in major cities

100s of 1000s protesting

Chaos

Criticisms

Criticisms

Doha Dev Agenda

Discrimination

Squeezing restricting policy space for DCs domestic interventions

Anti-dumping / Protection

Transparency / Putting up the curtain

globalization

• Agriculture - Ghana Tomato

• Indian Patents - medicines

• Guatemala baby formula

Case Studies

Pacts

Big blocks EU, NAFTA

Interests groups: C-4, Cairns Group

Outsourcing Pact - India

Bilateral agreements - Saudi w/7 nations

Equal?

Recap Fears

Developed World Underdeveloped World

Outsourcing

National security

Unfair playground

Exploitation

Inability to develop

"As we say in trade negotiations, whenever an agreement manages to draw criticism from all countries, it means that it is a good agreement."

-Pascal Lamy

conclusion