What is the WTO?

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is the international body that sets rules for trade between nations. Its 142 members, soon to be joined by China and Taiwan, account for most of the world's trading nations.

It negotiates agreements that oblige governments to keep trade policies within agreed parameters. The aim is to allow trade to flow as easily as possible by removing barriers such as tariffs and to limit subsidies that distort the market.

The WTO's champions claim the agreements ensure that free trade has few unhappy side effects.

Critics complain that WTO rules prevent governments from pursuing policies that benefit society rather than business.

The WTO was founded in 1995 with Ireland's Mr Peter Sutherland as its first director-general.

It is the successor organisation to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which had been regulating trade since 1948.

What is a trade round?

A trade round is a lengthy set of negotiations, sometimes lasting as long as seven years, that negotiate trade on a package of issues.

The idea is that it is easier for governments to make concessions in one sector if they stand to gain in others or if an overall package is to their economic advantage.

The most recent trade round was the Uruguay Round, which lasted seven and a half years.

One hundred and twenty-three countries negotiated on everything from toothbrushes to telecommunications and from musicians' copyright to treatments for fatal illnesses.

Almost as soon as it was signed in 1994, some WTO members were calling for a new round of talks to resolve other issues.

What is the WTO doing in Doha?

Ministers from 142 countries have been meeting in Doha in Qatar to agree an agenda for a new trade round.

They failed to initiate a new round two years ago in Seattle but they arrived in the Qatari capital under huge pressure to succeed.

The agenda is important because if an issue is not included, it is unlikely to be discussed for a decade.

Countries can be just as anxious to prevent issues appearing on the agenda as they are to add them.

Is the WTO good for developing countries?

Most people agree that trade can be good for poor countries, helping them to boost economic growth and lift their people out of poverty.

However, some developing countries complain that WTO rules are biased in favour of rich countries.

They complain that tariffs and subsidies make it difficult for developing countries to sell their exports to rich countries.

And they argue that too strict an interpretation of the rules can prevent governments from taking action that benefits citizens but can impede commerce.

The WTO argues that the benefits of free trade are clearly evident in the economic progress made by open economies compared to those that impose barriers to trade and keep their markets closed.