📜 Historical Background: From Bretton Woods to WTO

• The Bretton Woods Conference (1944) laid the foundation for the post-war global financial system, resulting in the creation of the IMF and the World Bank.
• A third pillar—International Trade Organization (ITO)—was envisioned to manage global trade. However, the Havana Charter (1948) that sought to establish it was never ratified, mainly due to U.S. opposition.
• To address the void, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed in 1947 by 23 nations and came into force in 1948. Though provisional, it became the de facto international trade framework.
• Over the decades, GATT conducted eight rounds of negotiations to lower tariffs and boost trade. The most significant—Uruguay Round (1986–94)—concluded with the Marrakesh Agreement, which led to the establishment of the WTO in 1995.

⚖️ Major Agreements Under WTO

• GATT 1994: Continuation of GATT principles under the WTO, covering trade in goods.
• GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services): Framework for liberalizing services trade.
• TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights): Establishes global standards for IPR protection.
• AoA (Agreement on Agriculture): Regulates domestic support, market access, and export competition in agriculture.
• AoS (Agreement on Safeguards): Allows temporary trade protection for domestic industries facing serious injury.
• DSU (Dispute Settlement Understanding): Creates a binding mechanism for resolving trade disputes among members.

⚔️ Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU)

• One of the most significant features of the WTO, the DSU provides a quasi-judicial framework for resolving member disputes.
• The Appellate Body, which reviews legal aspects of rulings, has been rendered non-functional since 2019 due to the U.S. blocking new appointments, paralyzing the system.

🛡️ Agreement on Safeguards (AoS)

• Allows WTO members to temporarily restrict imports of a product if it causes or threatens serious injury to a domestic industry.
• Article 12.3: Mandates prior consultations before applying safeguard measures.
• Article 8: Permits affected members to retaliate by suspending trade concessions if procedural obligations are violated.

🌍 Doha Development Round

• Launched in 2001 in Doha, Qatar, the agenda aimed to integrate development priorities—especially of the Global South—into the multilateral trade framework.
• Focus areas included reducing agricultural subsidies, increasing market access, and protecting indigenous knowledge.
• The round has remained stalled due to persistent disagreements between developed and developing countries, reflecting a growing North-South divide.

🏛️ Important Ministerial Conferences

• MC9 – Bali (2013): Trade Facilitation Agreement adopted; discussions on food security.
• MC10 – Nairobi (2015): Elimination of export subsidies and emphasis on LDC (Least Developed Country) interests.
• MC11 – Buenos Aires (2017): No major outcome; growing trend of plurilateral agreements.
• MC12 – Geneva (2022): Discussions on WTO reform, fisheries subsidies, e-commerce, and pandemic response.

🇮🇳 India’s Role and Priorities

• Public Stockholding: India demands a permanent solution for food security programs under the AoA.
• Services Exports: Advocates liberalization and easier movement of professionals under Mode 4.
• Geographical Indications: Strongly supports protection of traditional goods like Basmati and Handicrafts.
• E-Commerce Duties: Opposes moratorium on digital trade tariffs, seeking revenue autonomy.
• Non-Trade Issues: Resists introduction of labor and environmental clauses that could become trade barriers.

🚨 Challenges Facing WTO Today

• Appellate Body crisis: Paralysis of dispute settlement undermines rule-based order.
• Stalled Doha negotiations: No breakthrough in long-pending issues.
• Plurilateralism: Risk of fragmentation with mini-lateral or exclusive trade deals.
• TRIPS-related issues: Especially visible during COVID-19 vaccine debates.
• Geopolitical tensions: U.S.-China rivalry affects consensus-building.

💡 Conclusion

The World Trade Organization remains the bedrock of the global multilateral trading system. Despite rising protectionism and internal deadlocks, its relevance cannot be overstated.

For a country like India, which seeks a rules-based, equitable global order, proactive engagement and leadership in WTO reform are critical. Strengthening dispute resolution, reviving negotiations, and resisting unfair norms are necessary to protect developmental space and strategic autonomy.