About the WTO — ‘Understanding the WTO’
An introduction, in more depth, to the WTO and its agreements.

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Download by chapter (pdf format):
> Chapter 1: Basics (23 pages; 1004KB)
> Chapter 2: The Agreements (32 pages; 506KB)
> Chapter 3: Settling disputes (8 pages; 1420KB)
> Chapter 4: Cross-cutting and new issues (14 pages; 271KB)
> Chapter 5: The Doha Agenda (16 pages; 467KB)
> Chapter 6: Developing Countries (8 pages; 442KB)
> Chapter 7: The Organization (15 pages; 864KB)
  

10 benefits of the WTO trading system
From the money in our pockets and the goods and services that we use, to a more peaceful world — the WTO and the trading system offer a range of benefits, some well-known, others not so obvious.
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10 common misunderstandings about the WTO
Is it a dictatorial tool of the rich and powerful? Does it destroy jobs? Does it ignore the concerns of health, the environment and development?
Emphatically no. Criticisms of the WTO are often based on fundamental misunderstandings of the way the WTO works.
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The WTO — a training package
A more detailed and technical explanation of the WTO in the form of an interactive training package.
  

Videos
> From GATT to WTO
> To the heart of the WTO
> Basic principles of the WTO system 
> Why is it important to liberalize ?
> A virtual tour of the WTO  
  

WTO/CPA booklet for MPs
The WTO and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association have published a new booklet on the multilateral trading system, based on regional workshops for African and Caribbean Parliamentarians held in Cape Town and Port-of-Spain in 2003.
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A word of caution: the fine print 

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the texts in this introductory section, they cannot be taken as an official legal interpretation of the agreements. 

In addition, some simplifications are used in order to keep the text simple and clear. In particular, the words “country” and “nation” are frequently used to describe WTO members, whereas a few members are officially “customs territories”, and not necessarily countries in the usual sense of the word (see list of members). The same applies when participants in trade negotiations are called “countries” or “nations”. 

Where there is little risk of misunderstanding, the word “member” is dropped from “member countries (nations, governments)”, for example in the descriptions of the WTO agreements. Naturally, the agreements and commitments do not apply to non-members. 

In some parts of the text, GATT is described as an “international organization”. The phrase reflects GATT's de facto role before the WTO was created, and it is used simplistically here to help readers understand that role. As the text points out, this role was always ad hoc, without a proper legal foundation. International law did not recognize GATT as an organization. For simplicity, the text also uses the term “GATT members”. Officially, GATT signatories were “contracting parties”.