On The Decision Making At World Trade Organisation

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) was established to provide a level playing fieldfor all its members, irrespective of their economic development and capacity. It was to have beena system that provides permanence, in that members act within the rules agreed, andpredictability where deviation from those rules will result into adjudication.Although the world’s only multi trade organisation has been in existence for13years, itis yet conclude a single trade round. In comparison to its predecessor organisation the GeneralAgreement on Tariffs and Trade1947, that has successfully concluded eight trade rounds until1994equating to an average of5.8years per round.The thesis investigated why there is a clutter at WTO in achieving any tangible outcomes,where the focus was on the WTO organs and the decision making process. To understand theWTO system of decision making it was imperative to consider the perceptions and experiencesof those affected, these included the developing and developed countries, the Non-GovernmentalOrganisations, learned scholars and trade experts.By employing the above method of analysis it was established that the current system ofdecision making and the decision making process is inefficient in addressing the concerns of all members particularly the developing countries. The thesis concludes by reiterating that thepresent system of WTO decision making and the decision making process has not yielded to anysubstantial outcomes since the creation of WTO.As a way forward several suggestions have been made that entails, the retention of theconsensus system of decision making, the elimination of the informal negotiating processreplaced with mechanisms that includes all members participation, and the abolishment of thesingle undertaking principle that is preventing conclusion of the Doha round.