WTO – World Trade Organization

The World Trade Organization was created in 1995 and emerged out of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which existed since 1948. Its main function is to operate a system of trade rules, which aim at liberalizing and facilitating trade. But it is also a forum for trade negotiations (currently under the Doha Round); a place to settle trade disputes; and a body to review the trade policy of its 150 member countries.

FES Geneva has been working together with the WTO Secretariat for more than a decade. The cooperation started as a media information project for journalists from developing countries, aiming at providing them with first-hand information on current trade issues at the WTO Secretariat in Geneva as well as during Ministerial Conferences. Since then, FES and the WTO Secretariat have been intensifying their collaboration by jointly organizing international workshops on specific topics, expert meetings and regional Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues mainly in developing countries.

FES Geneva is seeking to build capacity in developing countries on WTO issues. Therefore, it offers in collaboration with the ACP Secretariat in Geneva a 3-4 months Internship Program for young professionals from African countries on WTO negotiations.

Since 2004, FES has been organizing together with The Evian Group an annual Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on global trade and related topics with participants of business, trade unions, WTO missions, NGOs and academia.