Whats the World Trade Organization
中国复关和入世谈判，历尽艰辛，一波三折。我们过去没有，现在不会，将来也不可能为了一个国际组织的成员资格，而牺牲我们的重大利益。 ——对外贸易经济合作部首席谈判代表 龙永图
一、世界贸易组织ABC：
什么是世界贸易组织？
What's the World Trade Organization？
答：世界贸易组织是世界上独一无二的处理国家之间贸易规则的世界性组织，其核心是世贸协议。
The World Trade Organization（WTO）is the only international body dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements.
其目的有三：
1.使贸易尽可能的自由流动；
2.作为一个贸易谈判的论坛；
3.争端解决。
WTO has three main purposes：
1. To help trade flow as freely as possible
2. To serve as a forum for trade negotiations
3. To settle disputes
其原则有五：
1.非歧视；（without discrimination）
2.更自由；（freer）
3.可预见；（predictable）
4.更具竞争性；（more competitive）
5.更利于欠发达国家。 （more beneficial for less developed countries）
WTO的组织结构是怎样的？
部长级大会
Ministerial Conference
总理事会
General Council
委员会 货物贸易理事会 与贸易有关的知识产权理事会 服务贸易理事会
Committees Council for Trade Council for Trade-Related Council for Trade on in Goods Aspects of Intellectual in Services
关于：Property Rights
贸易与环境，
trade and environment
贸易与发展， 等
Trade and Development
诸边协议
Plurilaterals
注：总理事会其实是"三位一体"，即贸易政策审议机构、争端解决机构和总理事会。
GATT和WTO的区别在哪里？
答：主要区别在于：
The main differences：
关贸总协定是临时的。从未得到成员立法机构的批准，也未包括创立一个机构的条款。
GATT was ad hoc and provisional. The General Agreement was never ratified in member's parliaments, and it contained no provisions for the creation of an organization.
世界贸易组织及世贸协议是永久性的。作为一个国际组织，世界贸易组织由于成员的立法机构批准了世贸协议，且世贸协议本身描述了世贸的运作方式，因而有了很好的法律基础。
The WTO and its agreements are permanent. As an international organization, the WTO has a sound legal basis because members have ratified the WTO agreements and the agreements themselves describe how the WTO is to function.
世贸有"成员".关贸总协定有"缔约方"，强调了关贸总协定正式而言是一个法律文本。
The WTO has "members". GATT had "contracting parties", underscoring the fact that officially GATT was a legal text.
关贸总协定管的是货物贸易，世贸还管服务贸易和知识产权。
GATT dealt with trade in goods. The WTO covers services and intellectual property as well.
世贸争端解决体系较关贸总协定更迅速，更主动，其裁决不受阻挠。
The WTO dispute settlement system is faster, more automatic than the old GATT system. Its rulings cannot be blocked.
二、WTO小知识点：
国民待遇——给予外国人和本国人一样的待遇。
National treatment——giving others the same treatment as one's own nationals
诸边协议——指几个世贸成员之间，而非全体成员之间签署的协议，如《民用航空器协议》（ Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft）和《政府采购协议》 （Agreement on Government Procurement）。
Plurilaterals——signed by only a few WTO members rather than all
WTO历任总干事：
The directors-general of WTO
Peter Sutherland （Ireland）GATT 1993-1994; WTO 199