The terms country or country used in this Agreement and multilateral trade agreements shall be construed to encompass each separate customs territory that is a member of the WTO. 2. The WTO shall serve as a forum for negotiations between its Members on their multilateral trade relations in the areas covered by the Agreements set out in the Annexes to this Agreement. The WTO can also provide a forum for further negotiations among its Members on their multilateral trade relations and a framework for the implementation of the results of these negotiations, as may be decided at the Ministerial Conference. 3. Amendments to the provisions of this Agreement or to multilateral trade agreements set out in Annexes 1A and 1C other than those referred to in paragraphs 2 and 6 which would modify the rights and obligations of Members shall take effect upon their acceptance by two-thirds of the Members and thereafter for any other Member, after acceptance by them. The Ministerial Conference may decide, by a three-quarters majority of the Members, that any amendment which has entered into force under this paragraph shall be such that any Member which has not accepted it within a time limit fixed by the Ministerial Conference shall be free to withdraw from or remain a member of the WTO with its consent. 1. The WTO shall provide the common institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations between its Members with regard to the agreements and related legal instruments listed in the Annexes to this Agreement. 8. The bodies provided for in plurilateral trade agreements carry out the tasks entrusted to them by those agreements and operate within the institutional framework of the WTO. These institutions keep the General Council regularly informed of their activities.
While the Marrakesh Agreement itself does not apply directly to your business, the WTO Agreements contain in their annexes a comprehensive set of rules designed to facilitate competition in today`s global marketplace. The full texts of all WTO Agreements, including those concluded since the inception of the WTO, can be found in the U.S. Department of Commerce`s Tara Trade Agreement Negotiation and Compliance database. 9. The Ministerial Conference may, at the request of Members that are Parties to a trade agreement, decide only by mutual agreement to include this Agreement in Annex 4. The Ministerial Conference may, at the request of Members that are Parties to a Plurilateral Trade Agreement, decide to delete this Agreement from Annex 4. 1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or in multilateral trade agreements, the WTO shall be guided by the decisions, procedures and practices followed by the CONTRACTING PARTIES to GATT 1947 and the bodies established under GATT 1947. 3. The agreements and related legal instruments listed in Annex 4 (hereinafter referred to as „plurilateral trade agreements“) shall also form part of this Agreement and shall be binding on the Members which have adopted them.
Plurilateral trade agreements do not create obligations or rights for members who have not accepted them. 2. The least developed countries recognised as such by the United Nations need only make commitments and concessions to the extent that they are compatible with their individual development, financial and trade needs or with their administrative and institutional capacities. 5. There shall be a Council for Trade in Goods, a Council for Trade in Services and a Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (hereinafter referred to as the TRIPS Council), which shall operate under the general guidance of the General Council. The Council for Trade in Goods oversees the operation of the multilateral trade agreements set out in Annex 1A. The Council for Trade in Services monitors the operation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as „GATS“). The TRIPS Council monitors the operation of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (hereinafter referred to as the „TRIPS Agreement“). These Councils shall carry out the tasks entrusted to them by their respective agreements and by the General Council. They shall adopt their rules of procedure, subject to the approval of the General Council. Membership in these councils is open to representatives of all members. These Councils shall meet to the extent necessary for the performance of their tasks.
Determined to respect the fundamental principles and promote the objectives underlying this multilateral trading system, this Agreement defines the scope, functions and structure of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The agreements previously negotiated under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and those concluded in the Uruguay Round have been incorporated as integral parts of the Marrakesh Agreement and are contained in its annexes. These agreements are now considered WTO agreements. TANC may help you understand your rights under this Agreement and notify the relevant United States. Government officials to investigate the other country involved, if necessary, to help you resolve your issue. (1) The WTO will continue the practice of decision-making by consensus under GATT 1947(1). Unless otherwise specified, in cases where a decision cannot be taken by consensus, the matter in question shall be decided by a vote. At the meetings of the Ministerial Conference and the General Council, each WTO member has one vote. When the European Communities exercises its right to vote, it shall have a number of votes equal to the number of its Member States(2) which are members of the WTO. Decisions of the Ministerial Conference and the General Council shall be taken by a majority of the votes cast, unless otherwise provided for in this Agreement or the relevant multilateral trade agreement(3). 3.
Paragraph 1 shall apply between a Member and another Member which has acceded in accordance with Article XII only if the Member which does not agree with the request has informed the Ministerial Conference thereof before the Ministerial Conference approves the Agreement on the Conditions of Accession. 5. Decisions taken under a plurilateral trade agreement, including any decision on interpretations and derogations, shall be subject to the provisions of this Agreement. 1. A Ministerial Conference shall be held, composed of representatives of all members, which shall meet at least every two years. The Ministerial Conference shall carry out the tasks of the WTO and shall take the necessary measures to that end. The Ministerial Conference shall be empowered to take decisions at the request of a Member in accordance with the specific decision-making requirements set out in this Agreement and the relevant multilateral trade agreement. 2. Decisions on accession shall be taken by the Ministerial Conference. The Ministerial Conference approves the Agreement on the Conditions of Accession by a Two-Thirds Majority of WTO Members.
2. The Ministerial Conference and the General Council shall have the exclusive power to adopt interpretations of this Agreement and of multilateral trade agreements. Where a multilateral trade agreement is interpreted in Annex 1, they shall exercise their powers on the basis of a Council recommendation monitoring the operation of that agreement. The decision to adopt an interpretation shall be taken by a three-quarters majority of the members. .