Editing World Trade Organization (section)

===Ministerial conferences===
[[File:Geneva Ministerial Conference 18-20 May 1998 (9305956531).jpg|thumb|The [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1998]], in the [[Palace of Nations, Geneva|Palace of Nations]] ([[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]])]]

The highest decision-making body of the WTO, the [[Ministerial Conference]], usually meets every two years.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.wto.org/english/theWTO_e/minist_e/min11_e/min11_e.htm | title=Ministerial conferences – Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference |publisher=World Trade Organization | access-date=28 January 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913034215/https://www.wto.org/english/theWTO_e/minist_e/min11_e/min11_e.htm | archive-date=13 September 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref> It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements. Some meetings, such as the [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 1996|inaugural ministerial conference]] in [[Singapore]] (1996) and the [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 2003|inaugural ministerial conference]] in [[Cancún]], [[Mexico]] (2003)<ref>{{cite journal|ssrn= 916768|title=Five Years of China WTO Membership. EU and US Perspectives about China's Compliance with Transparency Commitments and the Transitional Review Mechanism|journal=Legal Issues of Economic Integration |publisher=Kluwer Law International |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=263–304 |date= 4 August 2006|last1= Farah|first1= Paolo Davide|doi= 10.54648/LEIE2006016}}</ref> involved arguments between [[Developed country|developed nations]] and [[Developing country|low-income and lower-middle income countries]], referred to as the "[[Singapore issues]]", such as [[agricultural subsidies]]; while others such as the [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999|Seattle conference]] in 1999 provoked large demonstrations. The [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 2001|fourth ministerial conference]] in [[Doha]], [[Qatar]] in 2001 approved China's entry to the WTO and launched the [[Doha Development Round]] which was supplemented by the [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005|sixth WTO ministerial conference]] in [[Hong Kong]], which agreed to phase out agricultural export subsidies and to adopt the [[European Union]]'s [[Everything but Arms]] initiative to phase out tariffs for goods from the [[least developed countries]]. At the sixth WTO Ministerial Conference of 2005 in December, WTO launched the [[Aid for Trade]] initiative and it is specifically to assist developing countries in [[trade]] as included in the [[Sustainable Development Goal 8]] which is to increase aid for trade support and [[economic growth]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ministerial conferences – Hong Kong 6th Ministerial|url=https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min05_e/min05_e.htm|access-date=2020-09-24|publisher=World Trade Organization|archive-date=24 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124061659/https://www.wto.org/english/theWTO_e/minist_e/min05_e/min05_e.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) was due to be held in [[Nur-Sultan]], [[Kazakhstan]], in June 2020 but was canceled because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. It was later held in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]] from 12–17 June 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ministerial conferences – Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference – Geneva Switzerland |url=https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc12_e/mc12_e.htm |access-date=2023-08-21 |publisher=World Trade Organization |archive-date=21 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821112302/https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc12_e/mc12_e.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13) was held in [[Abu Dhabi]], [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]] on 26–29 February 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members examine 'road map' for MC13 on the WTO's reform of its deliberative function |url=https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news23_e/gc_25jul23_e.htm |access-date=2023-08-21 |publisher=World Trade Organization |language=en |archive-date=21 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821035407/https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news23_e/gc_25jul23_e.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ministerial conferences |url=https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/minist_e.htm |access-date=2023-08-21 |publisher=World Trade Organization |archive-date=6 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306211034/https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/minist_e.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and extended to Friday 1 March 2024 to complete deliberations.<ref>[https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news24_e/mc13_29feb24_e.htm "WTO 13th Ministerial Conference extended by one day to facilitate outcomes"]. World Trade Organization. 29 February 2029.</ref>