20th Anniversary Brochures
The WTO has produced a series of brochures to mark its 20th anniversary. Each brochure looks into a specific area of WTO activity, highlighting the achievements over the past 20 years.
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WTO Accessions
Plus MoinsSince the WTO was established in 1995, 33 economies have joined the organization. This has resulted in over 20,000 pages of legal documents defining their specific terms of membership. These accessions have brought the WTO’s total membership to 161 economies, comprising more than 7 billion people and accounting for 98 per cent of world trade. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the WTO’s ever-expanding membership and the benefits of WTO accession.
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Trade in Services
Plus MoinsOver the past 20 years, trade in services has become the most dynamic segment of world trade, growing more quickly than trade in goods. Developing countries and transition economies have played an increasingly important role in this area, increasing their share in exports of world services from a quarter to one-third over this period. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the General Agreement on Trade in Services and WTO members’ commitments.
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Technical Barriers to Trade
Plus MoinsWTO members have notified over 25,000 draft regulatory measures to the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee over the past 20 years, covering imports ranging from food to medical devices. Over 470 of these measures have undergone detailed scrutiny by WTO members in the TBT Committee. But only a handful of these issues have resulted in formal disputes, proving the effectiveness of the committee process. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the TBT Agreement and the work of the TBT committee.
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Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Plus MoinsAgricultural products worth over US$ 1,765 billion were traded in 2013. WTO rules help to ensure that these products are traded safely and that health protection measures are not used as an excuse for protecting domestic producers. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the key provisions of the Agreement and the work of the SPS Committee.
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TRIPS Agreement
Plus MoinsThe establishment of the WTO’s TRIPS (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) Agreement in 1995 changed the face of international intellectual property (IP) law and policy-making. TRIPS negotiators recognized that shortcomings and inconsistencies in IP protection can distort trade and impede its benefits. The TRIPS Agreement helps ease trade tensions about IP issues while leaving WTO members ample space to pursue diverse domestic policies. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the use of IP rights covered by the Agreement.
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Government Procurement Agreement
Plus MoinsGovernment procurement accounts for an average of 15 per cent or more of a country’s GDP. The WTO’s Agreement on Government Procurement covers government purchasing of goods, services and construction work valued at US$ 1.7 trillion annually. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into how the Agreement came about and what it embodies.
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WTO Dispute Settlement
Plus MoinsOver the past 20 years, nearly 500 disputes have been brought to the WTO. About half of these were resolved during bilateral discussions while the other half proceeded to a panel process, which in recent years generally takes about 14 months. Appeals are considered by the WTO’s Appellate Body and – excluding exceptionally busy periods – are completed within three months. This makes the WTO’s dispute system one of the fastest in the world. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into how the dispute settlement system operates.
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Trade and Environment
Plus MoinsThe creation of the WTO in 1995 marked a crucial step in the history of multilateral trade, helping to open up fresh avenues of dialogue on how trade interacts with the environment and how to ensure that trade and environmental policies work hand in hand. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the interplay between trade and environment.
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Training and Technical Assistance
Plus MoinsOver 14,700 participants from developing countries benefited from WTO training courses and distance learning programmes in 2014. This training has been instrumental in helping government officials gain a greater understanding of the multilateral trading system and in helping developing countries tackle the challenges of being a WTO member, enforce their rights and meet their obligations.
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Trade Facilitation Agreement
Plus MoinsThe Trade Facilitation Agreement is the first multilateral trade agreement to be concluded since the WTO was established 20 years ago. Once it enters into force, the Agreement is expected to reduce total trade costs by more than 14 per cent for low-income countries and more than 13 per cent for upper middle-income countries by streamlining the flow of trade across borders. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks into the provisions of the Agreement and its potential benefits.
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Trade and Tariffs
Plus MoinsOver the past 20 years, global trade in goods has nearly quadrupled, reaching US$ 19 trillion in 2013 compared with US$ 5 trillion in 1996. This represents an annual growth rate of 7.6 per cent on average. Over the same period, there has been a 15 per cent reduction in average tariffs applied by WTO members. This brochure, produced to mark the WTO’s 20th anniversary, looks at the evolution of trade and tariffs over the past 20 years.
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