The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the international body that ensures the proper functioning of trade between States. Its origins date back to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of October 30, 1947, which allowed the creation of a space in which States could debate various issues on trade, structuring an organization for this purpose that responded to the name of GATT , acronym in English of the Treaty, although that Agreement did not provide for the creation of an institution. The GATT held a round of negotiations called the "Uruguay Round" from 1986 to 1993, which ended with the signing of the Final Act and its agreements, including the Convention that gave rise to the establishment of the Organization. World Trade Organization (WTO), the Institution became operational on January 1, 1995. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is not within the United Nations System and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.