The World Trade Organization

by Kahn, Peggy

• ISBN13: 9780791095423
• ISBN10: 0791095428
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-30
• Publisher: Facts on File

Summary

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was created in 1995 to promote freer trade. It did not take long, however, before the organization found itself embroiled in controversy and conflict. In November 1999, in Seattle, Washington, at the WTO's Third Ministerial Conference, more than 40,000 protesters were arrested. They believed the WTO supported corporate interests over the interests of developing countries, the poor, workers, consumers, and the environment. Yet, for more than a few emerging economies, the WTO, through its rule-based mechanisms, has leveled the playing field, expanded world trade, and promoted development. For billions of people who live in poverty and sickness, the WTO is one of their best hopes for a brighter future.

Author Biography

Author Ronald A. Reis is the Technology Department Chair at Los Angeles Valley College. He has a B.A. in applied technology and an M.A. in the social sciences. He is the author of 10 books for Facts On File and Chelsea House. He has served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia. Series editor Peggy Kahn is professor of political science at the University of Michigan-Flint. She also has been a social studies volunteer in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, public schools. She has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in history and government from Oberlin College.

Excerpts

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Trade Organization is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which was founded following the Second World War. Established in January 1995, the WTO aims to improve the welfare of the people of its member states by lowering trade barriers and providing a platform for negotiation of trade. Specifically, it sets rules for trade on a global level to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible. With 151 member nations and 32 observers, the WTO serves as a multilateral negotiating forum to set trade rules and settle disputes among nations.The World Trade Organizationdetails the history and mission of this international body.

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Excerpted from The World Trade Organization by Peter Dorman, Ronald A. Reis
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.