WTO Transparency Remains Poor

Although the WTO is more transparent than the GATT, there is still a great deal of insularity and secrecy.  One recent example are the accession negotiations.  Although there are apparently some negotiations going on regarding the Russian accession, and some brief news items on the WTO website, the most recent document available on the WTO website to the interested public dates back from 2000.  Another example is the accession of Vanuatu which was long overdue and had held up by the WTO for many years after Vanuatu applied in 1995.  For months I have been looking for current documents related to the accession.  The most recent document on the WTO website is dated 2001.  At the time that the WTO approved Vanuatu's accession, the Protocol and working party report were not posted on the WTO website. Even today, after Vanuatu has joined the WTO, these documents are not posted.  The WTO's lack of transparency on accession is due, I believe, to the WTO's desire to impose applicant WTO-plus conditions on applicant countries.  By keeping the WTO's demands secret before the WTO Council votes on accession, the WTO can more easily assure that the public does not become aware of any inappropriate demands by the WTO being made on applicant countries.  I predict that this will be a bigger problem on Russian accession.  Civic society should demand more transparency by the WTO on matters of accession.