- more favorable conditions of access on the world markets of the goods and services on the basis of predictability and stability of development of trade relations with countries - members of WTO, switching their external economic policy(politics);
- Access to the mechanism of WTO under the resolution of disputes providing protection of national interests if they are restrained by partners, and thus elimination of discrimination;
- An opportunity of realization of the current and strategic trade and economic interests by effective participation in MTN at development(manufacture) of new rules of international trade.
All countries - members of WTO accept obligations on performance of the basic agreements and the legal documents incorporated by the term " Multilateral trading agreements " (МТs). Thus, from the legal point of view the system of WTO represents the original multilateral contract (a package of agreements), norms and which rules is adjusted approximately 97 % of all world trade by the goods and services.
The supreme body of WTO is the Ministerial conference uniting representatives of all participants of the organization. Sessions of conference pass not less often than an once in two years on which are discussed and of the decision on the questions of principle connected to a package of agreements of the Uruguayan round make.
The first conference was held in December, 1996 in Singapore on which the Agreement on liberalization of trade, in particular, was accepted in the field of information technologies. The second - in May, 1998 in Geneva where the basic results of fifty years' activity WTO were brought and the decision on preparation for a new round of multilateral trading negotiations (MTN) was accepted.
The third Ministerial conference was held 30.11-03.12.1999г. in Seattle (USA) and was devoted to discussion by countries - members of the organization of agreements of the Uruguayan round, and also a format of new round MTN. Was planned to begin negotiations first of all under " the built - in agenda " (the agriculture, trade in services) and also to prepare recommendations for prospects of activity of WTO in view of decisions of the previous Conferences, including to possible(probable) inclusion in the future negotiations of new spheres.
Formally in Seattle it was not possible to reach(achieve) objects in view since the concrete summons of a round and a format of his(its) realization were not produced. It was caused by presence of serious contradictions on basic problems as a whole and on new spheres, in particular, between industrially advanced states and less developed countries. Also there were significant disagreements between conducting players of WTO - groups (EU, USA, Japan, Canada), including discrepancy of their strategic interests on realization of a new round.
In a result the decision to continue discussion of the given problems in Geneva was accepted under aegis of General advice(council) of WTO which should present the offers on realization of a new round. Within the framework of the appropriate Committees of WTO discussion only problematics of " the built - in summons ” in the spring 2000 began. In 2000-2001гг. passed also consideration of offers of countries - members on a format of the further evolution of these Agreements and other fields of activity of the organization. In view of remaining contradictions between various groups of the states and separate countries - members of WTO, work was under construction on search of conciliatory proposals.
November, 9-13, 2001 in Doha (Qatar) was held the fourth Ministerial conference on which in a result the decision to start(begin) negotiations on a number(line) of the directions concerning " the built - in summons " was accepted, industrial tariffs, corrected WTO (grants, an antidumping, regional trading agreements), arrangements on settlement of trading disputes. Within the framework of the appropriate committees work on negotiations in other areas (trade and ecology etc.) is conducted. From February 2002г. began work Committee on the trading negotiations, including number(line) of the specialized bodies which is the coordinator of negotiating process of new round MTN. Now there is a subject discussion at a multilateral level of offers of countries - members of WTO under the agenda of a new round, and on trade in services bilateral negotiations begin..
At the fifth Ministerial conference (September, 2003. Mexico) will be brought intermediate results MTN and the format of their continuation is determined. As a whole this round MTN is supposed to be finished to the beginning of 2005 though there are problems of realization of " the Plan of Doha ".
Structure and functions. Between sessions of Ministerial conferences as required (8-10 once a year) for the decision current and points of order the General Advice(council) consisting of representatives of all participants of the organization is convoked. Besides administers activity of Body under the resolution of disputes and Body under the review of a commercial policy.
Ministerial conference of WTO establishes Committee on trade and development, Committee on restrictions with a view of maintenance of balance of the balance of payments, Committee on the budget, the finance and administrations, and also Committee on trade and an environment, Committee on regional trading agreements and a number of other bodies.
Ministerial conference appoints the general Director of WTO. With 1999г. till September, 2002 him(it) was Messes, the ex-prime minister of New Zealand. However the term of office of the general Director is reduced till three years and in September, 2002 of it(him) former vice-premier of Thailand.
Agency of the organization is the Secretary of WTO in Geneva (Switzerland) in which structural divisions it is borrowed(occupied) 500 person. Working languages of WTO - English, French and Spanish. The budget of the organization for 2002 makes 143 million Francs (about 90 million $).
Acceptance of decisions. Acceptance of decisions practises WTO on the basis of a consensus though voting is de jure stipulated. Interpretation of positions of agreements on the goods, services, clearing of the accepted obligations 3/4 voices are accepted. The amendments which are not touching rights and obligations of participants, and also acceptance of new members demand 2/3 voices (in practice, as a rule, a consensus).
Membership. According to the Agreement on establishment of WTO countries - founders of the organization began all Contracting parties - participants GAUTT (128 states) who have presented lists of obligations on the goods and services and ratified a package of agreements of the Uruguayan round.
Now full participants of WTO are 146 states, and only 18 from them became new members - Ecuador, Bulgaria (1996г.), Mongolia, Panama (1997г.), Kirghizia (1998г.), Latvia, Estonia (1999г.), Jordan, Georgia, Albania, Oman, Croatia (2000), Lithuania, Moldova (2001г.), China (December 2001г.), Taiwan (January 2002г.) and Armenia (February, 2003), Macedonia (April 2003г.).
More than thirty states have the status of the observer in WTO. Overwhelming majority of them, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, other states of the CIS are at various stages of connection to WTO.
Procedure of connection to the World trading organization, produced for half-centuries of existence GAUTT/WTO, also consists of several stages. As shows experience of countries - competitors, this process borrows(occupies) on the average 5-7 years. All mentioned below procedures of connection completely are distributed and to Russia.
At the first stage within the framework of special Working groups there is a detailed consideration at a multilateral level of the economic mechanism and a trading - political mode of the joining country for their conformity to norms and rules of WTO. After that consultations and negotiations about conditions of membership of the country - competitor in the given organization begin. These consultations and negotiations, as a rule, will be carried out(spent) at a bilateral level with all interested countries - members РГ.
First of all negotiations concern "commercially significant" concessions, which the joining country will be ready to give members of WTO on access on its(her) markets (are fixed in bilateral Reports on access on commodity markets and services), and also on a format and terms of acceptance on itself of obligations under the Agreements, following of membership in WTO (it is made out in the Report of Working group).
In turn joining country, as a rule, receives rights which all other members of WTO have also that will mean practically the termination(discontinuance) of its(her) discrimination on foreign markets. (Though, for example, China could not achieve reception of all these rights in full). In case of illegal actions on the part of any member of the organization, any country can address with the appropriate complaint in Body under resolution of disputes which decisions are obligatory for unconditional execution(performance) at a national level each participant of WTO.
According to the established procedure results of all carried out(spent) negotiations on liberalization of access on the markets and conditions of connection are made out by the following official documents:
- The report of Working group where all package of rights and obligations which the country - competitor will take up on results of negotiations is stated;
- The list of obligations on tariff concessions in the field of the goods and on a level of support of an agriculture;
One of the main conditions of connection of the new countries to WTO is reduction of their national legislation and practice of regulation of foreign trade activities conformity with positions of a package of agreements of the Uruguayan round.
At the final stage of connection there is a ratification by a national legislature of the country - competitor of all package of the documents coordinated within the framework of Working Group and authorized by General advice(council). After that the specified obligations become a part of documents of WTO and the national legislation, and itself the country - candidate receives the status of a member of WTO.