UNDERSTANDING THE WTO: THE ORGANIZATION

The Secretariat

The WTO Secretariat is headed by a Director-General. Divisions come directly under the Director-General or one of his deputies. This is the structure since 1 of October 2005.
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DirectorGeneral Pascal Lamy Biodata

Understanding the WTO Basics Agreements Settling disputes Cross-cutting and new issues
The Doha agenda

Office of the DirectorGeneral: administrative support for (disputes) Appellate Body Council and Trade Negotiations Committee Division: General Council, Dispute Settlement Body, Trade Negotiations Committee (DDA), etc. DDA Special Duties Division Special focus on development assistance aspects of cotton and other selected Doha Development Agenda issues Human Resources Division Information and Media Relations Division

Developing countries The organization

Whose WTO? Organization chart Membership, alliances and bureaucracy Secretariat chart Special policies Members list Least-developed countries list Abbreviations

Deputy DirectorGeneral Alejandro Jara Biodata

Accessions Division: negotiations to join the WTO

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Economic Research and Statistics Division Legal Affairs Division: Dispute settlement, etc. Rules Division: anti-dumping, subsidies, safeguards, state trading, civil aircraft, etc. Deputy DirectorGeneral Valentine Rugwabiza Biodata Development Division: trade and development, least-developed countries External Relations Division: relations with the UN, intergovernmenta l and nongovernmental organizations, parliaments, and protocol matters Technical Cooperation Audit Trade and Finance and Trade Facilitation Division: TRIMs, trade, debt and finance, balance of payments, links with IMF and World Bank, trade facilitation

More introductory information

> The WTO in Brief > 10 benefits > 10 misunderstandings

(simplification of trade procedures), trade and investment, etc. Training and Technical Cooperation Institute Deputy DirectorGeneral Harsha Vardhana Singh Biodata Agriculture and Commodities Division: agriculture, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, etc. Trade and Environment Division: trade and environment, technical barriers to trade, etc. Trade in Services Division: GATS etc. Deputy DirectorGeneral Rufus Yerxa Biodata Administration and General Services Division: budget, finance and administration Market Access Division: Goods Council, market access, tariffs, customs valuation, nontariff measures, import licensing, rules of origin, pre-shipment inspection Informatics

Division Intellectual Property Division: TRIPS, government procurement, and competition Language Services and Documentation Division Trade Policies Review Division: trade policy reviews, regional trade agreements

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