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WORK WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The WTO and other organizations

The WTO works with a number of other international governmental organizations under the banner of “coherence”, a term originating in the “Decision on achieving greater coherence in global economic policy-making”, which ministers agreed in Marrakesh, April 1994. But coherence in global economic policy-making goes much beyond the WTO's formal and specific cooperation arrangements with the IMF and the World Bank. Indeed, it is now recognized that the WTO system is only one part of a much broader set of international rights and obligations that bind WTO Members. The WTO maintains extensive institutional relations with several other international organizations; there are some 140 international organisations that have observer status in WTO bodies. The WTO also participates as observer in the work of several international organizations. In all, the WTO Secretariat maintains working relations with almost 200 international organisations in activities ranging from statistics, research, standard-setting, and technical assistance and training. Although the extent of such cooperation varies, coordination and coherence between the work of the WTO and that of other international organizations continues to evolve so as to assist Members in the operation of their economic policies.

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Main partners
Collaboration with these IGOs is mandated in WTO legal texts:
Codex, FAO, ILO, IMF, ITC, ITU, OECD, OIE, UN, UNCTAD, UNEP, WB, WCO, WHO, WIPO

VIDEOS

News back to top

Background explanations back to top

The mandate back to top

The desire of WTO member countries for greater coherence in global economic policy-making through closer cooperation between the WTO, World Bank and IMF is expressed in a number of Agreements, Ministerial Declarations and Decisions:

General Council decision, November 1996, “Agreements between the WTO, IMF and World Bank”
“Agreement establishing the WTO from the Uruguay Round Final Act” Browse or download from the Legal texts gateway. See article III.
Summary of the “Decision on achieving greater coherence in global economic policy-making” from the Uruguay Round Final Act.
“Declaration on the Contribution of the World Trade Organization to Achieving Greater Coherence in Global Economic Policymaking”, from the Uruguay Round Final Act. Browse or download on the legal texts gateway.
“Declaration on the Relationship of the World Trade Organization with the International Monetary Fund”, from the Uruguay Round Final Act. Browse or download on the legal texts gateway.

Organizations mentioned in WTO legal texts back to top

Cooperation between these organizations and the WTO is specifically mandated in WTO agreements, ministerial declarations or decisions, or General Council decisions

Other organizations back to top

The WTO also has working relations with many other organizations. Here, these are listed according to the Secretariat divisions that work with them.

Cooperation, by subject back to top

Agriculture

Development

Development section of the WTO website:
detailed information on cooperation between multilateral organizations on development. Includes “coherence” work with World Bank and IMF, “Integrated Framework” for trade-related technical assistance to least-developed countries,“ Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP)” also for least-developed countries
Aid for trade
Organizations working with WTO's development division
Organizations with observer status in the WTO Committee on Trade and Development
WTO and Millennium Development Goals

Environment

Food safety, animal and plant health (SPS)

SPS section of the WTO website: The SPS Agreement refers to the international standards of the “three sisters” — Codex Alimentarius (for food), the World Organization for Animal Health, and International Plant Protection Convention — and the SPS Committee works closely with them.
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF): a joint initiative of the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Organization for Animal Health, and Food and Agriculture Organization
Organizations with observer status in the WTO SPS Committee
Organizations with which the WTO Agriculture and Commodities division has a working relationship

Market access

WTO cooperates regularly with the World Customs Organization (WCO)
ITC market access map
Organizations with observer status in the Market Access Committee
Organizations with which the WTO Market Access division has a working relationship

Services

Trade facilitation

Trade Finance

Trade finance gateway

Economic Research and Statistics

Intellectual property

Intellectual Property section of the WTO website:
collaboration with WIPO and other organizations
Organizations with observer status in the WTO's TRIPS Council
Organizations with which the WTO's Intellectual Property Division has a working relationship
WHO-WIPO-WTO cooperation on intellectual property and public health

Trade Policy Review

Government procurement

Training and technical cooperation