Parliamentarians
Resource Hub for Parliamentarians
Parliamentarians play a key role in trade policy — adopting legislation related to trade issues, reviewing implementation of WTO agreements and aligning international commitments with national priorities. This hub is intended to provide legislators and their staff with timely updates on trade issues, training resources and opportunities to engage with WTO activities.
News for parliamentarians
The following news items relate to WTO activities of relevance to legislative work
Parliamentary activities related to the WTO
Parliamentarians help shape how WTO agreements are applied nationally. They:
- review and adopt trade-related legislation
- monitor how trade commitments are implemented
- engage in international dialogue on trade
- represent constituent interests in global trade matters
WTO Secretariat engagement with legislators
The WTO Secretariat works closely with legislators through various channels to provide information on WTO activities, technical support and opportunities for exchange of views.
See Contact with parliamentarians
Resources for parliamentarians’ work
The full text of the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) and its Annexes.
Members that intend to be bound by a specific WTO agreement or related legal instrument have to express their consent by depositing a valid “instrument of acceptance” with the Director-General directly, or through the Depositary Assistant.
The WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement entered into force once two-thirds of members had deposited their “instruments of acceptance” with the WTO. This threshold was reached at a ceremony on 15 September 2025. The Protocol remains open for acceptance for the remaining WTO members.
A comprehensive account of the WTO's activities over the past year.
Ministerial conferences are the WTO’s highest decision-making body, meeting at least once every two years and providing political direction for the organization.
Detailed information about the WTO's work is published in the official documents of the WTO's councils, committees, working groups etc. These are made available through the Documents Online database.
The WTO Tariff & Trade Data platform provides access to official tariff and trade figures for over 150 economies.
The WTO’s trade-related technical assistance activities aim to help developing countries build their trade capacity so that they can participate more effectively in global trade.
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)
Discover how STDF helps developing countries meet food safety requirements for international trade.
Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)
Learn more about how the EIF helps least developed countries achieve economic growth through trade:
The bulk of the WTO's technical assistance programme is funded by the Global Trust Fund through voluntary contributions from WTO members.
The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest outreach event. It provides a unique platform for stakeholders, such as parliamentarians, to organize sessions on the latest developments in global trade.
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Contact and support
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Videos
- The WTO is born: memories from Marrakech 1994
- Marking 30 years of the WTO
- Let’s Talk Re-Globalization
- Let's Talk WTO
- Let's Talk Most Favoured Nation
- Let's Talk Tariffs
- Let’s Talk Schedules
- Let’s Talk Rules-based Trade
- Let’s Talk Comparative Advantage
- Let's Talk Services Trade
- WTO Let's Talk Trade Playlist (with additional videos)
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