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 1947-48 Havana Conference - creation
of international institutions.
 1948 Establishing GATT instead of
ITO.
 1955 Treaty to establish
³Organisation for Trade
Cooperation´ (OTC).
 1986-93 Uruguay round of multilateral
negotiations initiated under
Washington consensus.
 1st Jan 1995 Establishment of WTO and winding
up of GATT.
 
 16 articles agreement establishing WTO and setting its
institutional and procedures and structure.

 Ministerial conferences, general councils and other

subsidiary councils.

 Dispute settlement mechanism. (D.S.M)

 Provide a continuous negotiating forum and setting out rules

for increased global trade.

 On-going review of members trade policies and acting as a

secretariat for administration for M.T.S.
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 ³ Separate custom territory possessing full autonomy in

conduct of external relations and other matters.

 129 original members who ratified Uruguay Round

Agreement by 31st December 1996 (two years from 1st

January 1995 when WTO was set up).

 Present membership- 149 as on 31st December 2005.

 Waiting membership- 21 countries still at WTO gate.

 Withdrawal or expulsion.
  !'

 ·ollows GATT practice of decision making by

consensus.

 Each member has one vote inspite of size, GDP etc.

 Voting possibilities remain.

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 Very wide coverage, merchandise, services, TRIPS, TRIMS
etc.

 ·uture trade regulation through tariffs only. All non-tariff

barriers to be converted into tariffs which are transparent
and measurable ensuring predictable and secured market
access.

 Bounding of tariffs.

 M· extension without discrimination (with few exceptions).

 ational treatment.
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 Single undertaking.

 Credible dispute settlement system (DSS).

 Special and differential treatment.

 Harmonising domestic legislative structure (restricting trade

related sovereignty of members?).

 Promotion of continued liberalisation.

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 End current impasse on Doha development round- Cancun
collapse.

 Implementation problems faced by developing and LDC

members in coping with original mandate of Uruguay Round
of Agreement.

 ew issues and insistence of further liberalisation.

 Strengthening of dispute settlement system.

 Transparency and participation in decision making.

 ë
 Integrating regional trade agreements in MTS.

 Promoting concept of sharing benefits equally and equitably.

 Converting WTO secretariat as global representative body.

 Checking indiscriminate use of anti-dumping and countervailing duties.

 Imbibing and inculcating human dimension and touch to WTO

agreements.
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³If WTO is to become a global trade representative

institution, it will have to develop specialised strategies to

bring in qualitative changes and result oriented instruments

which should redress and resolve existing inequities and

lend basic rights of human living (currently denied) to a large

portion of population in developing countries´.

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