World Trade Organization Trade and Environment Section.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995 to negotiate the settlement of trade disputes between its member countries. With a current membership of 139 countries, the Geneva, Switzerland-based body has been in the media spotlight after large-scale demonstrations protesting issues ranging from the existence of the WTO itself to its policies on labor and the environment were staged during its November 1999 meeting in Seattle, Washington. Environmental groups are worried that the WTO places the interests of free trade above all else, even above laws enacted by member countries to protect endangered species and resources and to reduce pollution. These groups are concerned that the policies of the WTO could lead to the reduction of environmental regulations, especially in countries in the developing world, in order to compete successfully in a globalized economy.

To clarify the WTO's position on environmental topics and provide in-depth information on the organization's decision-making procedure for ruling on the environmental issues brought before it, the WTO recently added a Trade and Environment section to its Web site located at http://www.wto.org/. This section can be accessed by clicking on the A-Z List link on the home page and then selecting the Environment link.

The main trade and environment page introduces the visitor to the history of the debate within the WTO on environmental protection versus trade, and provides guides to pages discussing the issues mediated by the WTO that fall under the trade and environment classification. The page is organized under broad headings such as how issues are discussed in the WTO and committees within the WTO. Under each heading are links to more specific topics within each area.

Clicking on the WTO and Its Committee on Trade and the Environment (CTE) link brings the visitor to a page devoted to the main body within the WTO that addresses environmental issues. The CTE, which comprises all WTO members as well as observers from intergovernmental organizations, has been instrumental in bringing environmental issues to the forefront of the WTO agenda. The page provides information on the CTE's guiding principles and its background since its inception in early 1995. The page states that the committee's mandate is "to identify the relationship between trade measures and environmental measures in order to promote sustainable development ... [and] to make appropriate recommendations on whether any modifications of the provisions of the multilateral trading system are required."

The Trade and Environment Bulletins link on the home page directs the visitor to a directory of bulletins issued by the CTE. The bulletins list the discussion points of each CTE meeting and presentations made before the committee by member countries on topics such as traditional medicine and biological diversity. They also provide more detailed background information on selected discussion points.

Another topic on the main trade and environment page is the October 1999 WTO special study titled Trade and the Environment. By following the WTO Special Study on Trade and the Environment link, the visitor can download the full 109-page report, view a summary of the report, or access information on each of 22 main points addressed by the study. The study examines serious questions about the impact of trade on international environmental policies, many of which were at the center of the Seattle demonstrations. Back at the main trade and environment page, the visitor can select the Frequently Asked Questions link or one of the links under this heading, such as 10 Misunderstandings about the WTO, to read a discussion of common misperceptions about the WTO.