The WTO is composed of governments and political entities (such as EU) and is a member-driven organisation with decisions mainly taken on a consensus basis. Membership implies a balance of rights and obligations. By October 2004, 149 countries had joined WTO, with around 25 negotiating to sign up. A vast majority of Members are developing countries. The largest and most comprehensive entity is European Union with its 25 Member States. Indeed, while Member States co-ordinate their positions in Brussels and Geneva, European Commission alone speaks for EU at almost all WTO meetings.

The WTO's top level decision-making body is Ministerial Conference, which meets at least once every two years. The latest conferences were Seattle (1999), Doha (2001 – which launched DDA) and Cancun (2003). Below this, General Council meets several times a year in Geneva headquarters. Both are composed of representatives of all Member States. At next level, Goods Council, Services Council and Intellectual Property Council as well as numerous specialised committees, working groups and working parties deal with individual agreements and other areas such as environment, development, membership applications and trade agreements. Finally, WTO Secretariat located in Geneva supplies technical support for various councils and committees and ministerial conferences, analyses world trade and explains WTO affairs to public and media. See more info on WTO.

Currently, WTO Members are engaged in a broad round of multilateral trade negotiations, called “the Doha Development Agenda” (DDA). In July 2004, Members agreed on a Framework Agreement that sets a clear agenda for formulation of a new set of trade rules by end of DDA and decided that next WTO Ministerial will be held in Hong Kong in December 2005.

Members and Observers