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WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
INTRODUCTION: 
 The setting up of WTO was agreed to by 125 countries on 
april 15,1994 at a conference in Marrakesh which 
concluded the strennous Uruguay round of GATT 
negotiations after more than 7 years of hard bargaining. 
 The new World Trade Organisation which replaces the 
general agreement on Tariff and Trade(GATT),had come 
into effect from january 1,1995 with the support of atleast 
85 founding members,including India.
 WTO has 153 members,representing more than 95% of 
total world trade. 
 The WTO is governed by a ministerial conference,meeting 
every 2 years. 
 A general council which implements the conference’s 
policy decisions and is responsible for day to day 
administration. 
 Director-general,who is appointed by the ministerial 
conference. 
 The WTO’s headquarters is at Geneva,Switzerland.
OBJECTIVES: 
 To help developing countries benefit fully from 
global trading system. 
 To set & enforce rules for International trade. 
 To increase the transparency of decision making 
process. 
 To facilitate trade without any discrimination. 
 To resolve trade disputes.
 To provide forum for negotiating & monitoring 
the international trade. 
 To cooperate with other major international 
economic institutions involved in global economic 
management. 
 The main overall objective of WTO is to promote 
and ensure the international trade in member 
countries with the mantra of liberalization, 
privatization and globalization.
SCOPE: 
 The WTO shall provide the common institutional 
framework for the conduct of trade relations 
among its members in matters related to the 
agreements and associated legal instruments 
included in the Annexes. 
 The agreements and associated legal instruments 
of the Multilateral Trade Agreements are binding 
on all members.
 The agreements and associated legal instruments 
of the Plurilateral Trade Agreements (A 
plurilateral agreement implies that 
WTO member countries would be given the 
choice to agree to new rules on a voluntary 
basis.) are also a part of this agreement for those 
members that have accepted them and are binding 
on them. 
 The general agreement on Tariff & Trade,1994 is 
legally distinct from the general agreement on 
Tariff & Trade dated 30 october 1947.
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