The World Trade Organization (WTO), established on January 1, 1995, regulates international trade to ensure it is smooth and predictable, evolving from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established in 1948. The organization has 164 member countries and addresses trade disputes while providing a platform for negotiations and monitoring national trade policies. Its structures include the General Council, Dispute Settlement Body, and Appellate Body, which handle dispute resolution and policy reviews among member nations.

1. Presentation by
Abdulkarim khanapuri MB161001

2. WHAT IS WTO
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global
International organization dealing with the rules of trade
between nations to ensure trade that flows as smoothly,
predictably and freely as possible.
• The WTO began life on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh
Agreement, signed by 123 nations on 15 April 1994, but its
trading system is half a century older. Since 1948, the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
• The membership of the WTO were 77 in 1995 to 164 in the year
2017.

3. GENERAL OVERVIEW
Location Geneva, Switzerland
Established 1 January 1995
Created by Uruguay Round negotiations (1986-94)
Membership 164 countries
Secretariat staff 640
Director-General Roberto Azevedo
Budget
196 million Swiss francs (approx. 209 million
US$) in
2011

4. OBJECTIVES OF WTO
• Set and enforce rules for international trade
• Forum for trade negotiations
• Handling trade disputes
• Monitoring national trade policies
• Technical assistance and training for developing
countries
• Cooperation with other international organizations

5. Ministerial
Conference
Dispute
Settlement Body
General Council
Trade Policy
Review Body
Councils:
I, II, III
Director General Committees
I, II, III
I. For Trade in Goods I. On Trade &
Development
Secretariat of the
WTO
III. On Budget,
Finance &
Administration
II. BOP Restrictions
II. For Trade in
Services
III. For Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual
Rights
Structure of World Trade
Organization

6. Dispute Settlement Body
 The General Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body
to deal with disputes between WTO members
 The DSB has authority to establish dispute settlement panels, refer
matters to arbitration, adopt panel, Appellate Body and arbitration
reports, maintain surveillance over the implementation of
recommendations and rulings contained in such reports, and
authorize suspension of concessions in the event of non-
compliance with those recommendations and rulings.
Appellate Body
 The Appellate Body was established in 1995 under Article 17 of the
Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement
of Disputes (DSU). It is a standing body of seven persons that
appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO
Members. The Appellate Body can uphold, modify or reverse the
legal findings and conclusions of a panel, and Appellate Body
Reports, once adopted by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB),
be accepted by the parties to the dispute.

7. The WTO has one of the most active international dispute settlement
mechanisms in the world, having issued over 350 dispute settlement
decisions in 21 years.
Members:
Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing
Hong Zhao
Peter Van den Bossche
Ujal Singh Bhatia
Thomas R. Graham
Ricardo Ramírez-Hernández.

8. • WTO General Council
• The General Council is the WTO’s highest-level decision-
making body in Geneva, meeting regularly to carry out the
functions of the WTO.
• It has representatives (usually ambassadors or equivalent) from
all member governments and has the authority to act on behalf
of the ministerial conference which only meets about every two
years.
• The current chair is Ambassador Xavier CARIM (South Africa).
• The General Council also meets, under different rules, as the
Dispute Settlement Body and as the Trade Policy Review Body.

9. Trade Policy Review Body
o The WTO general council met as a to undertake TPRM
o The trade policy review mechanism was an early result of the Uruguay round
being provisionally established the round in 1988.
o The current chair is ambassador is JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ (Columbia)
Cambodia 21 to 23 November 2017
Iceland 4 to 6 October 2017
Paraguay 20 to 22 September 2017
Jamaica 13 to 15 September 2017
Brazil 17 and 19 July 2017
European Union 5 and 7 July 2017
Chronological list of TPRS
Sources: Google, Wikipedia, WTO official website