The WTO was set up in 1995 as the successor to which of the following organization?

The correct option is General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT).

Step-by-Step Explanation:

1. Origin of GATT: The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed by 23 nations in 1947 and took effect in 1948. It was designed to provide a platform for negotiating the reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers among member nations after World War II.
2. Transition to WTO: Over the decades, as global commerce expanded to include services, intellectual property, and investment, the need for a stronger, more permanent international body arose. During the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations (1986–1994), member nations agreed to establish a new organization.
3. Establishment of the WTO: On January 1, 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) officially began operations following the Marrakesh Agreement. The WTO incorporated the rules of the original GATT agreement and succeeded it as the global body supervising and liberalizing international trade.
4. Distinguishing other options:
- The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded in 1920 to maintain world peace, which ceased operations after World War II.
- The United Nations is an international peace-keeping and cooperation organization founded in 1945.
- Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights founded in 1961.