The Annual Report 2020 provides a comprehensive account of the WTO's activities in 2019. The report begins with a message from WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. This is followed by a brief overview of 2019 and more in-depth accounts of the WTO's various areas of activity over the past 12 months. Spotlights highlight major WTO events and activities.

Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.

"This book provides a timely exploration of what the WTO is, what it does, and the complicated politics involved in its negotiations and rulings. Confronting the controversy surrounding the WTO head-on, the author highlights issues of power, marginalization, and development, and raises the important question of whether it actually deserves the reputation it has come to acquire."--BOOK JACKET.

Seventeen in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 190 economies, Doing Business 2020 measures aspects of regulation affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity.

This first report deals with some of the major development issues confronting the developing countries and explores the relationship of the major trends in the international economy to them. It is designed to help clarify some of the linkages between the international economy and domestic strategies in the developing countries against the background of growing interdependence and increasing complexity in the world economy. It assesses the prospects for progress in accelerating growth and alleviating poverty, and identifies some of the major policy issues which will affect these prospects.

The 2020 edition provides comprehensive information on the tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed by over 170 countries and customs territories. It is a joint publication of the WTO, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Tariff data are presented in comparative tables indicating, among other things, the average "bound" or maximum tariff each economy may apply to its imports and the average tariff it applies in practice. A one-page profile for each economy provides more detailed data, with tariffs broken down by product groups and trading partners. A summary table providing selected indicators on the imports and exports for each country and customs territory is also included. In addition, the publication provides statistics on non-tariff measures, such as safeguards and anti-dumping measures, used by WTO members. The special topic for this edition is market access to medical goods related to COVID-19.

This series contains the decisions of the Court in both the English and French texts.