In article it is reported about history of creation of the WTO and its management, structure and obligations of the secretariat of the WTO; the international organizations observers behind activity of the General Council of the WTO, and also practice of decision-making in the WTO and the WTO budget.
GENERAL CONCEPTS AND WTO HISTORY
(continuation)
History of creation of the WTO. The World Trade Organization (WTO) began the activity on January 1, 1995. The main task of this influential international economic organization is liberalization of world trade. From the legal point of view the WTO system – is a peculiar multilateral contract (a package of agreements), norms and which rules regulate about 97 % of all world trade by the goods and services. To the WTO became the successor of the General agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) which was valid from 1947.
Difference of the WTO from GATT.
The WTO it is urged to regulate the trading and political relations of participants of the Organization on the basis of a package of Agreements of the Uruguayan round of multilateral trade negotiations (1986-1994).Eti documents are the legal base of modern international trade.
The WTO in many respects functions like GATT, but at the same time supervises wider range of trading agreements (including trade in services and questions of trading aspects of intellectual property rights) and has considerably big powers, thanks to advanced procedures of decision-making and performance by their members of the organization. The integral component of the WTO is the unique mechanism of settlement of trading disputes.
GATT system, being the international organization, formally that wasn’t. The WTO received the status of specialized institution of United Nations system.
WTO management.
Higher body of the WTO is Conference of ministers which unites representatives of all participants of the organization. Sessions of conference pass not less than time in two years, on them discuss and make the decision on matters of principle. Between sessions of Conferences of ministers as required (8-10 times a year) for the purpose of the decision current and points of order are convoked the General Council which is executive body. Its structure includes representatives of all participants of the organization.
Conference of ministers (or the General council) appoints the Director general VTO.V this position occupied September, 2002 Supachay Panichpakdi, and since May, 2005 of the WTO Paskal Lemi – the former commissioner on European Union trade headed.
Administrative body of the organization is the WTO Secretariat in Geneva (Switzerland) in which structural divisions 635 regular employees work. Working languages of the WTO – English, French and Spanish.
Structure of the secretariat of the WTO.
In staff of the Secretariat 60 nationalities among which more all Frenchmen (155 persons), Englishmen (80 persons) and Spaniards (41 person).preimushchestvenno is economists, lawyers and experts in international trade are presented. Other - it is the service personnel: financiers, experts in information technologies, translators. A half of structure of the Secretariat is made by women.
Obligations of the Secretariat:
· Administrative and technical support of representation bodies of the WTO (councils, committees, working and trunk-call groups) in the course of negotiating and introduction of agreements.
Technical support of developing states and especially – the poorest. Analysis of a condition of trade and trade policy economists and statisticians of the WTO.
· The help from legal services in preparation of resolutions of trade negotiations, including interpretation of rules of the WTO and precedents.
· Activities for negotiations on the introduction of new members and providing recommendations to the governments of the countries, intending to become members of the organization.
The international organizations observers behind activity of the General Council of the WTO:
– United Nations (United Nations)
– United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (YUNKTAD/UNCTAD)
– International Monetary Fund (IMF)
– World Bank
– Food and agricultural organization (FAO/FAO)
– World Organization on protection of intellectual property (VOIS/WIPO)
– Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD/OECD).
Decision-making in the WTO.
Decision-making practises in the WTO on the basis of consensus though rules provided vote. Interpretation of provisions of agreements concerning the goods, services, intellectual property rights, release from certain obligations provides 3/4 voices. The amendments which are not mentioning the rights and obligations of participants, and also acceptance of new members demand 2/3 voices.
The budget Vto.Obshchy the WTO budget for 2006 makes 175 million Swiss francs that about 138 mln. dollars of the USA are equivalent. The most part of the budget of the WTO forms at the expense of contributions of the participating countries.
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