The birth of the World Trade Organization (WTO) marked the end of an era in which international trade was governed by the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1947). With the refusal of the United States Congress to ratify the Charter of the International Trade Organization (Havana Charter) GATT 1947 was the only means left for the regulation of international trade relations. It was originally conceived as a provisional multilateral agreement for tariff reduction without any reference to a specific institutional umbrella. In spite of its many shortcomings, GATT 1947 gradually evolved into a de facto international organization which helped establish a strong and prosperous multilateral trading system through many rounds of trade negotiations. Although GATT 1947 is now reduced to its original status as a multilateral agreement, its history of decisions, procedures and customary practices still form an important element for the interpretation and understanding of the WTO and its provisions. The World Trade Organization is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
This Research Guide is intended as a starting point for research on the World Trade Organization. It provides the basic legal materials available in the Peace Palace Library, both in print and electronic format. Handbooks, leading articles, bibliographies, periodicals, serial publications and documents of interest are presented in the Selective Bibliography section. Links to the PPL Catalogue are inserted. The Library’s classification index code 140a. GATT/WTO and subject heading (keyword) World Trade Organization are instrumental for searching through the Catalogue. Special attention is given to our subscriptions on databases, e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. Finally, this Research Guide features links to relevant websites and other online resources of particular interest.
On 1 January 2010 the World Trade Organization (WTO) will celebrate its 15th birthday. Shortly before the anniversary the 7th Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference will take place for the second time in Geneva, Switzerland, from 30 November to 2 December 2009. Trade ministers will be discussing the general theme “The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment”.
Read moreOn 14 january 2009 the database was launched and can be accessed in English, French and Spanish. The database can be searched by country, region, legal provision, date of notification or entry into force of the RTA. Summary tables of all RTAs currently in force, containing various types of information, can be easily exported by users of the database.
Read more![Macrory, P.F.J., A.E. Appleton and M.G. Plummer (eds.), The World Trade Organization : Legal, Economic and Political Analysis, New York, NY : Springer [etc.], 3 Vols., 2005](http://www.peacepalacelibrary.nl/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/X5080-80x125.jpg "Macrory, P.F.J., A.E. Appleton and M.G. Plummer (eds.), The World Trade Organization : Legal, Economic and Political Analysis, New York, NY : Springer [etc.], 3 Vols., 2005")
![Macrory, P.F.J., A.E. Appleton and M.G. Plummer (eds.), The World Trade Organization : Legal, Economic and Political Analysis, New York, NY : Springer [etc.], 3 Vols., 2005](http://www.peacepalacelibrary.nl/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/X5080-223x300.jpg "Macrory, P.F.J., A.E. Appleton and M.G. Plummer (eds.), The World Trade Organization : Legal, Economic and Political Analysis, New York, NY : Springer [etc.], 3 Vols., 2005")
The World Trade Organization : Legal, Economic and Political Analysis / , 2005
The World Trade Organization : Law, Economics, and Politics / , 2007
The World Trade Organization : A Legal and Institutional Analysis / , 2007
