Topic 1: Accession into the WTO by Developing and Transitional Countries
Topic 2: Sustainable Finance of Development
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international economic forum that focuses primarily on international trade and trade relations. The World Trade Organization was founded on New Year’s Day, 1995 by the Marrakech Agreement. Nearly every nation in the world is either a member or observer of the World Trade Organization despite the group’s relative youth. The WTO succeeded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and has successfully centralized a number of trade discussions and negotiations. The work of the WTO is divided into different “rounds.” The first round, which precedes the official founding of the WTO, was the Uruguay Round, while the current round is known as the Doha Round. This round of negotiations has been particularly difficult because of its objective of enhancing economic equity in developing nations. The World Trade Organization is a near-global organization, encompassing more than 95% of the world’s population. Many nations which are not a part of the WTO, such as the Russian Federation, maintain a non-participatory but observational role in the organization. There are currently 153 member states and 30 observers, which meet regularly in general and ministerial conferences. The ministerial conferences, are held every two years, are responsible for setting policy and conducting high level discussions among member states. The World Trade Organization has set the following five framework principles to guide international trading policies: non-discrimination, reciprocity, binding and enforceable commitments, transparency, and safety valves, which are largely aimed at making international trade as fair and equitable as possible. Although the primary work of the WTO is conducted by the general and ministerial conferences, there are also several councils and committees which focus on subsections of trade and economic policy. The WTO has occasionally attracted criticism for its treatment of environmental and labor issues, especially for indirectly promoting inequitable labor practices in the developing world.
The World Trade Organization at Harvard Model Congress Asia will be held in the format of a biannual ministerial conference. Although debate will be facilitated by two committee chairs, all delegates will be expected to contribute constructively to the discussion. Delegates assigned to the World Trade Organization will be responsible for representing the interests of a WTO member state. In order to prepare for participation at HMCA, WTO delegates should research the state of economic development in their respective nations, as well as any political considerations that may influence their country’s perspective on international trade. Although the WTO at HMCA will be conducted in a manner similar to a number of other international programs, delegates can expect a dynamic and unique experience because of the synergy between different committees. The WTO will regularly interact with and testify before a number of related committees in both domestic and international programs.
