Question

Where was 11^th WTO  Ministerial Meeting organized?
1. Argentina
2. Switzerland
3. England
4. China

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Argentina

The correct answer is Argentina.

• The Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11)
  • It took place from 10 to 13 December 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was chaired by Minister Susana Malcorra of Argentina. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
  • The Conference ended with several ministerial decisions, including on fisheries subsidies and e-commerce duties, and a commitment to continue negotiations in all areas.
  • The Ministerial Conference, which is attended by trade ministers and other senior officials from the organization’s 164 members, is the highest decision-making body of the WTO.
  • Under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO, the Ministerial Conference is to meet at least once every two years.
  • For the first time in the history of the World Trade Organization, WTO members and observers have endorsed a collective initiative to increase the participation of women in trade.
  • To help women reach their full potential in the world economy, 118 WTO members and observers agreed to support the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade, which seeks to remove barriers to, and foster, women’s economic empowerment.
  • A new initiative designed to drive public-private dialogue on e-commerce was launched today (11 December) by the World Trade Organization, the World Economic Forum, and the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).
  • The initiative, entitled ‘Enabling E-commerce’, aims to bring together leading voices from governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to begin a high-level conversation on e-commerce policies and practices that can benefit small businesses.

• The World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
  • It came into existence on January 1, 1995, and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • All major decisions are made by the WTO's member governments, either by ministers (who usually meet at least every two years) or by their ambassadors or delegates (who meet regularly in Geneva).

• The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12)
  • It will take place from 30 November to 3 December 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Ministers from across the world will have the opportunity to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system, deliver prepared statements, and take action on the future work of the WTO.
  • The Conference will be co-hosted by Kazakhstan and chaired by the Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan, Bakhyt Sultanov. Kazakhstan was originally scheduled to host MC12 in June 2020 but the conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.