The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. The WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the worlds trading nations, provide the legal ground-rules for international commerce and bind governments to keep their trade policies within agreed limits. The WTO operates a system of trade rules, and its primary purpose is to open trade for the benefit of all. The WTO has many roles, including operating a global system of trade rules, acting as a forum for negotiating trade agreements, settling trade disputes between its members, and supporting the needs of developing countries. The WTO is run by its member governments, and all major decisions are made by the membership as a whole, either by ministers or by their ambassadors or delegates. The WTO is a mediator between nations when trade problems arise, and it helps its members use trade as a means to raise living standards, create jobs, and improve peoples lives.