The World Trade Organization (WTO) was created in 1995 to promote freer trade. It did not take long, however, before the organization found itself embroiled in controversy and conflict. In November 1999, in Seattle, Washington, at the WTO's Third Ministerial Conference, more than 40,000 protesters were arrested. They believed the WTO supported corporate interests over the interests of developing countries, the poor, workers, consumers, and the environment. Yet, for more than a few emerging economies, the WTO, through its rule-based mechanisms, has leveled the playing field, expanded world trade, and promoted development. For billions of people who live in poverty and sickness, the WTO is one of their best hopes for a brighter future.