Members 152 countries were members on the 16th May 2008 Viet Nam was the last member of WOT on the 11 th of January 2007

WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. Location: Geneva, Switzerland Established: 1 January 1995 Created by: Uruguay Round negotiations ( ) Membership: 152 countries on 16 May 2008 Budget: 182 million Swiss francs for 2007 Secretariat staff: 625 Head: Pascal Lamy (Director-General)

Organisation The WTO is a rules-based, member-driven organisation — all decisions are made by the member governments, and the rules are the outcome of negotiations among members.

Roles Administering WTO trade agreements Forum for trade negotiations Handling trade disputes Monitoring national trade policies Technical assistance and training for developing countries Cooperation with other international organisations The WTO’s role is to provide the forum for negotiating liberalization. It also provides the rules for how liberalization can take place

Responsibilities They have the responsibility to ensure that free trade is available. for countries to lower their trade barriers and to allow trade to flow more freely.

Coverage in the Media The new Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Mike Moore, is probably the leading contemporary candidate for 'Most Despised Man on Earth'. Its many critics have claimed that the WTO inappropriately intervenes in domestic and regional affairs in order to enforce international trade policy, undermining the democratic process.

Positive/Negative Comments A recent study of complaints heard by WTO judges shows that no country's environmental, health, or food- safety laws have been upheld. They have been deemed barriers to trade. People have different views of the pros and cons of the WTO’s “multilateral” trading system. Indeed, one of the most important reasons for having the system is to serve as a forum for countries to thrash out their differences on trade issues. Individuals can participate, not directly, but through their governments