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Package of agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement

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Presentation on theme: "Package of agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement"— Presentation transcript:

1 Package of agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement
Annex 1A: Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods  GATT 1994 (incorporating GATT 1947 and legal instruments adopted by GATT Contracting Parties with reference to it) + agreements on specific matters; Annex 1B: General Agreement on Trade in Services; Annex 1C: Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights; Annex 2: Disputes Settlement Understanding; Annex 3: Trade Policy Review Mechanism; Annex 4: Plurilateral Trade Agreements.

2 Objectives of the WTO To raise standards of living;
to ensure full employment, the growth of real income and effective demand; to encourage the expansion of production of, and trade in, goods and services. The Wto Agreement must be interpreted in the light of these objectives.

3 Objectives of the WTO (II)
Need to take into account: sustainable economic development principle; preservation of the environment and health; integration of developing countries, esp. the least-developed ones.

4 Objectives of the WTO (III)
Means for the achievement of those objectives: reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade; elimination of discriminatory treatment in international trade.

5 Single undertaking Article II
“…2. The agreements and associated legal instruments included in Annexes 1, 2 and 3 (hereinafter referred to as "Multilateral Trade Agreements") are integral parts of this Agreement, binding on all Members. 3. The …."Plurilateral Trade Agreements" are also part of this Agreement for those Members that have accepted them, and are binding on those Members. The Plurilateral Trade Agreements do not create either obligations or rights for Members that have not accepted them”.

6 Single undertaking (II)
“Article XVI Miscellaneous Provisions …5. No reservations may be made in respect of any provision of this Agreement. Reservations in respect of any of the provisions of the Multilateral Trade Agreements may only be made to the extent provided for in those Agreements. Reservations in respect of a provision of a Plurilateral Trade Agreement shall be governed by the provisions of that Agreement”.

7 Functions of the WTO Art. III of the WTO Agreement:
1) The WTO shall facilitate the implementation, administration and operation, and further the objectives, of this Agreement and of the Multilateral Trade Agreements, and shall also provide the framework for the implementation, administration and operation of the Plurilateral Trade Agreements.

8 Functions of the WTO (II)
Bodies responsible for implementation: Ministerial Conference (interpretation of the WTO agreements  binding on all Members), General Council (day-to-day management); Specialised Councils and Committees: they oversee the application of specific agreements and make recommendations about interpretation of the agreements; no adoption of decisions; WTO Secretariat: technical assistance, esp. to least-developed countries

9 Functions of the WTO (III)
2 “The WTO may also provide a forum for further negotiations among its Members concerning their multilateral trade relations, and a framework for the implementation of the results of such negotiations….”. Negotiation of new agreements: permanent forum for negotiations  Doha Development Round (2001-)  divide on major issues (agriculture, trade in services etc.). Bali Package (2013). Ministerial Conference: it has also the power of adopting amendments to existing agreements.


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