The WTO is staffed by a Secretariat of international civil servants headed by a Director-General. Unlike many other institutions, the Secretariat does not operate with a high degree of independence, and serves at the direction of the membership. And like the earlier GATT, the WTO takes decisions by consensus, despite the fact that there are highly limited provisions for voting in certain instances. The former policies perpetuated poverty and inequality, and indirectly abetted anti-democratic forces. With the WTO, trade has become a key part of the solution to long-term structural problems resulting from decades of mismanagement.
Much work lies ahead, of course.
Much of this work will be complex and difficult. WTO Members were, for example, unable to launch a new Round of trade negotiations in 1999, reflecting the fact that these issues are complex and often lead to negotiating deadlock. But after five years, the record of the WTO is one of success. The WTO is our strongest guarantee that these policies will remain in place. The institution and its rules provide the best possible foundation for a world which is open, responsive to the rule of law, and able to offer new opportunities and higher living standards to its people.