This site uses technical (necessary) and analytics cookies.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies.

World Trade Organisation and other trade-related organisations

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is an international governmental body of 166 Member States that oversees trade between Members, which account for about 97% of world trade in goods and services. In addition to these, there are another 23 countries with an observer role.

It has been directed since 1 March 2021 by Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who on 29 November 2024 was confirmed at the helm of the Organisation for a second and final four-year term, which will end on 31 August 2029.

The WTO was established on 1 January 1995 at the conclusion of the so-called “Uruguay Round” negotiations and succeeds the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The agreements underlying the Organisation constitute the legal framework of the multilateral trading system and are binding for all Members. The Organisation also has a mechanism for the settlement of disputes, created to resolve conflicts between its Member States.

In recent years, however, the WTO has entered a crisis due to the inadequacy of the existing rules, which are now obsolete, by the lack of rules for new sectors (such as e-commerce) and by wide divergences of views among its Members. This crisis resulted in malfunctions of the Organisation’s main activities, including that of settlement of disputes, which led to the blocking of the Appellate Body (December 2019), and was exacerbated by the failure of subsequent ministerial conferences.

The Members, aware of the importance of trade for global growth and development, have committed to a reform of the Organisation that ensures a level playing field for all Members and promotes greater inclusion and sustainability in world trade.

In this sense, the XII WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), held in Geneva in June 2022, represented a turning point, as it surpassed the previous Conferences in ambition and results, relaunching the pivotal role of the Organisation in the multilateral trading system.

The subsequent XIII WTO Ministerial Conference (Abu Dhabi, 26 February – 2 March 2024), despite a context characterised by a difficult international geopolitical situation, by strong divergences between Members on the main negotiating issues, managed to achieve some objectives, lower than those hoped for, but still useful for continuing the path of reform of the Organisation in the post-Abu Dhabi period.

The XIV WTO Ministerial Conference will take place from 26 to 29 December 2026 in Cameroon.

World Trade Organization – Home page – Global trade (wto.org)

 

WTO Ministerial Conferences:

13th Ministerial Conference (January 2024)

12th Ministerial Conference (June 2022)

11th Ministerial Conference (December 2017)

10th Ministerial Conference – December 2015

9th WTO Ministerial Conference – December 2013

 

Contacts:

Office 9 – DGUE

Common Trade Policy

e-mail: dgue-09@esteri.it