Question

Which among the following cities was the venue for the fourth ministerial meet of the WTO?

• A. Singapore
• B. Seattle
• C. Doha
• D. Mexico

Hint:

The city that hosted the fourth WTO ministerial also gave its name to a famous round of trade talks launched there in 2001.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks where the World Trade Organisation held its fourth ministerial conference, the periodic meeting where member countries set the agenda for global trade negotiations.

Step 2: Key Facts:
WTO ministerial conferences are numbered in the order they are held. The first was in Singapore in 1996, the second in Geneva in 1998, and the third in Seattle in 1999, which broke down amid large street protests without agreeing on a new negotiating round.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
The fourth ministerial conference was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, in November 2001. This meeting is remembered for launching the Doha Development Round, also called the Doha Development Agenda, a fresh set of global trade talks meant to give developing countries a bigger say and better market access. Singapore hosted the first ministerial meet, not the fourth, and is where the so called Singapore issues, such as investment and competition policy, were first discussed. Seattle hosted the third ministerial in 1999, the one that collapsed without an agreement. Mexico hosted the fifth ministerial conference at Cancun in 2003, which came after Doha, not before it, and again ended without a breakthrough on agriculture.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The fourth WTO ministerial conference was held in Doha, so the answer is option (3).