First of all what
is Ministerial Conference??
The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two
years. It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are
countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on
all matters under any of the multilateral trade
agreements.
How WTO is different from other
instituitions:
The WTO is ‘member-driven’, with decisions taken by consensus
among all member governments. In this respect, the
WTO is different from some other international organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. In the WTO, power is not delegated to a board of directors
or the organization’s head.
Highest authority: the Ministerial Conference
So, the WTO belongs to its
members. The countries make their decisions through various councils and
committees, whose membership consists of all WTO members. Topmost is the
ministerial conference which
has to meet at least once every two years. The Ministerial Conference can take
decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.
