The WTO was founded in 1995- a child of the economic rationalist era. In the WTO there is no public debate, and no majority voting. Agreements are supposedly reached by consensus, but in reality the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan reach agreements which are then presented to smaller and developing countries. The Seattle meeting of the WTO collapsed not only because of demonstrations outside the meeting but because 70 developing country governments which were excluded from the drafting process refused to be steamrollered into agreeing to negotiations on a new agenda in which they had no effective voice. The WTO has no formal process for non-government observers.
Business groups attend the meetings and are also often included in government delegations.
The Australian Seattle delegation included eight business representatives and no unions or other community organisations. The WTO has teeth. WTO agreements are legally binding whether or not there is domestic legislation-often there is no national public debate before agreements are signed. Governments can complain about other government's regulation on the grounds that it is a barrier to trade. These decisions can be enforced through trade sanctions.