Title page
Contents
Summary 5
1. What is the WTO? 8
1.1. Rules of the World Trade Organization 8
Principles of WTO membership 10
1.2. WTO Agreements 12
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 12
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) 14
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) 15
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement 16
Trade remedies 17
1.3. Functions 19
Negotiations 19
Dispute settlement 20
Trade policy review 20
1.4. Bodies making up the WTO 20
Ministerial Conference 20
General Council 21
Councils and committees 21
Secretariat 21
2. What are WTO's main challenges? 24
2.1. Negotiations deadlock 24
2.2. Appellate Body paralysis 26
Interim appeal and arbitration arrangement 29
2.3. Geopolitical context 30
"Trade war" between the US and China 31
The developing countries status 32
New industrial policies 33
2.4. Is the WTO still relevant? 35
Increase in free trade agreements (FTAs) 35
Main topics agreed since 1995 38
3. The path ahead for the WTO 40
3.1. Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13) 40
Reform discussions 40
Fisheries 42
Agriculture and development 43
Joint initiatives 44
4. The UK's membership of the WTO 46
4.1. UK Parliament and the WTO 47
4.2. The UK's trade priorities 47