GENERAL INFORMATION

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the main international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between countries and separate customs territories. The WTO was established on 1 January 1995 after the relevant Marrakesh Agreement entered into force. The WTO succeeded the 1945 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded after the Second World War.

The key functions of the WTO are:

- monitoring compliance with the agreements and arrangements of the Uruguay Round package of instruments, which constitute the Marrakesh Agreement;

- conducting multilateral trade negotiations among WTO members;

- resolving trade disputes and reviewing WTO Members’ national trade policies;

- providing technical assistance to developing countries on matters falling within the WTO’s mandate;

- cooperating with specialized international organizations.

WTO Membership includes 166 countries and separate customs territories, accounting for 98% of world trade and further 23 countries have observer status in the Organization.

Headquarter of the WTO is located in Geneva, Swiss Confederation.

The WTO is headed by the Director-General. Currently this post holds Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria elected for a second term on 1 September 2025. The Secretariat staff of the WTO amounts to 623 employees.

The highest decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which meets at least once every two years.

One level below is the General Council, which, amongst other things, reviews trade policies and settles disputes.

The next level comprises the Council for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in Services and the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), all of which report to the General Council. Each of these Councils is supported by specialized committees, sub-committees, special sessions and working groups dealing with specific agreements and other issues, including the relationship between trade and environment, trade and development, accession to the Organization, regional trade agreements etc.

In the WTO, decisions are typically taken by consensus, although voting option is also provided by the Marrakesh Agreement. Interpretation of the provisions of the WTO agreements on goods, services, TRIPS and waivers of commitments are adopted by a three-quarters majority. Amendments that do not affect the rights and obligations of WTO Members, as well as the admission of new members, require a two-thirds majority.

The main benefits of WTO membership include:

- liberalization of market access for goods and services, based on the principles of predictability and transparency of Members’ trade policies and Most-Favored-Nation regime (MFN);

- access to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and resolution of bilateral trade concerns between the WTO Members;

- development of new international trade rules through participation in multilateral and plurilateral trade negotiations.
 

UKRAINE IN THE WTO

Ukraine became a full-fledged WTO Member on 16 May 2008. Ukraine initiated accession negotiations in 1994.

For Ukraine, accession to the WTO was an important step towards further integration into the global economic system and ensuring a non-discriminatory and predictable trading regime for Ukrainian goods and services in WTO Members’ markets.

Ukraine participates actively in different multilateral trade negotiations and initiatives in the WTO with main emphasis on agriculture, fisheries subsidies, electronic commerce, domestic regulation in services, trade and gender and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Key milestones of Ukraine’s WTO membership include:

- comprehensive conduct of Ukraine’s trade policy review in the WTO in 2016 and 2025;

- joining in 2024 the Cairns Group - coalition of 20 leading world agricultural exporters and participation in the Dialogue on Emerging Agricultural Trade (EAT) Issues;

- acceptance in 2023 of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies;

- joining in 2023 the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate and in 2021 the structured discussions on trade and sustainable environmental development (TESSD);

- adoption in 2021 of the WTO enhanced disciplines on services domestic regulations;

- accession in 2021 to the Agreement establishing the WTO Law Advisory Centre, which provides for advisory services on WTO rules;

- participation since 2019 in the WTO plurilateral negotiations on electronic commerce;

- accession in 2016 to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA).

WTO Secretariat provides a valuable technical and training assistance to the governmental institutions of Ukraine to enhance national capabilities in trade administration and implementation of the WTO instruments.

WTO Director General held a working visited to Kyiv in 2023.

 

COUNTERING RUSSIAN ARMED AGGRESSION WITHIN THE WTO

Since 2022 WTO decision-making, working and technical bodies and initiatives became an important platforms for Ukraine to counter Russia’s armed invasion and propaganda associated with it.

As the result of joint efforts by Ukraine and its partners in the WTO:

- Russia was deprived of the ability to benefit from trade preferences under the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) regime by 20 key WTO Members;

- the Russian Federation was expelled from the informal group of developed countries in the WTO and restrictions were imposed on Russia's participation in several informal groups and consultations;

- the negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement was put on hold as well as the whole accession process of Belarus to join the WTO;

- candidates from Russia to WTO bodies were prevented from being elected.

Ukraine and its partners actively use the opportunities provided by the WTO decision-making, working and technical bodies to draw attention of the WTO Members to Russia’s war against Ukraine and its negative consequences and impacts on international trade, global food security and chain supplies. 

Since 2022, the WTO Members have been regularly informed on the current situation regarding food exports from Ukraine, functioning of the relevant maritime corridors, Russian permanent attacks on Ukrainian port and grain infrastructure and civilian merchant vessels, Russia's criminal practice of export of grain stolen from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Ukraine and its partners in the WTO continue to consolidate efforts to strengthen measures to isolate the Russian Federation in the global economy and increase sanctions pressure on the aggressor state to counter Russia’s ability to conduct its war of aggression.

Ukraine actively promotes within the WTO the benefits of the Ukrainian humanitarian programme “Food from Ukraine” keeping the relevant dialog with interested developing and least developed countries.

Also Ukraine maintains an active dialogue with the WTO Secretariat to address within its mandate the challenges to world trade arising from Russia's aggression and discuss measures to strengthen global food security, facilitate trade, support Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses during the war, attract investments, and mitigate impacts of Russia’s war on the environment.

At the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi (2024) a ministerial level event of solidarity with Ukraine was held by Ukraine’s partners in the Organization. In the relevant joint statement the WTO Members stressed the extremely negative global and regional impact of Russia’s armed aggression on Ukraine’s ability to supply goods, products and raw materials to world markets. It was underlined that the Russian Federation must be held accountable for its unlawful acts in Ukraine, including through compensation for the damage caused to Ukraine’s economy, environment and trade.

In 2025 at the Second Trade Policy Review of Ukraine in the WTO the Ukrainian delegation held an important thematic event “Three Years of the Struggle for Global Food Security in Times of War”. The event highlighted the indispensable role of Ukraine's agricultural exports in ensuring global food security, recognized the value of Ukraine’s humanitarian initiatives “Grain from Ukraine” and “Food from Ukraine for Syria”, and emphasized the importance of ensuring free and safe navigation in the Black Sea for world trade. At the event Ukraine presented its experience with other partners to counter Russia's theft of grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including through the grain verification schemes. Second Trade Policy Review of Ukraine in the WTO culminated in adoption of a joint statement by 45 WTO Members in support Ukraine underlining the negative consequences of Russia's ongoing armed aggression for Ukraine's macroeconomic and trade indicators.

At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé (2026) another ministerial level event of solidarity with Ukraine in its struggle against Russian armed aggression was held, attended by over 40 trade ministers from different WTO Members. Participants once again reaffirmed condemnation of the ongoing Russian armed aggression in Ukraine and their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine’s efforts to ensure global food security and the functioning of the maritime corridors for food exports to world markets were recognized and appreciated.