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The
Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference
The Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in Cancún,
Mexico from 10 to 14 September 2003. The main task will be to
take stock of progress in negotiations and other work under
the Doha Development Agenda. Officially, this meeting will be
the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference. The Ministerial
Conference is the organization’s highest-level decision-making
body. It meets “at least once every two years”, as required by
the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade
Organization — the WTO’s founding charter.
Objective:
The World
Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international
organization dealing with the global rules of trade between
nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as
smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.
Functions:
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Administering WTO trade agreements
- Forum
for trade negotiations
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Handling trade disputes
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Monitoring national trade policies
-
Technical assistance and training for developing countries
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Cooperation with other international organizations
Mexico
will be the host of the 5th Ministerial Conference of the
World Trade Organization, which will take place from 10 to 14
September 2003 at Cancun, Quintana Roo. The WTO, successor of
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), has been
since 1995 the main mechanism for the world trade
liberalization and the only international institution in
charge of the rules that govern trade among countries.
Mexico
will be the first Latin American country to host a WTO
Ministerial Conference, top decision making body of this
Organization. The fact of presiding this event reflects the
commitment of Mexico with the Doha Agenda for Development, as
well as its important role in promoting the free trade. |