Negotiating The Review Of The Wto Dispute Settlement Understanding

Since the establishment of the WTO on 1 January 1995, the dispute settlement mechanism has arguably been the most active part of the Organization. In the first ten years up to 31 December 2004, a total of 324 consultation requests have been notified to the WTO. Dispute settlement practice has thus contributed to the evolution of the multilateral trading system even at times when political negotiations made little head way. Since late 1997, Members have engaged, under different mandates, in negotiations on improvements and clarifications to the dispute settlement mechanism. So far, none of these efforts have borne fruit and all the negotiating deadlines have lapsed without success. Currently, negotiations are continuing, however without any specific time limit. This book reviews the DSU reform negotiating process since 1998. It discusses the proposals that Members have submitted under the Doha mandated review in 2002 and 2003, w

The review of the dispute settlement system of the WTO was written into the results of the Uruguay Round establishing the organization. The planned review after four years failed to reach a conclusion and the review process was extended several times, to be finally taken up as a separate part of the Doha Round.

This book examines the effectiveness of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) in pursuing the developmental objectives of the WTO is a whole.

The WTO dispute settlement system has become one of the most dynamic, effective and successful international dispute settlement systems in the world over the past twenty years. This second edition of A Handbook on the WTO Dispute Settlement System has been compiled by the dispute settlement lawyers of the WTO Secretariat with a view to providing a practice-oriented account of the system. In addition to describing the existing rules and procedures, this accessibly written handbook explains how those rules and procedures have been interpreted by dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body, and how they have evolved over time. The handbook provides practical information to help various audiences understand the day-to-day operation of the WTO dispute settlement system.

In the course of the first decade of the existence of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) has shown itself to be the foundation upon which the stable bas of the organisation rests. In essence, the DSU created a system of binding dispute settlement based on legal rules and procedures closely resembling a domestic, judicially based court system. The DSU established the procedures and rules to solve the dispute between the WTO Members and its formation has unquestionably added to the stability and positively influenced the performance of the international trading system. In short, the DSU is the procedural law within the WTO legal system. Although a strict system of precedent is not contemplated in the DSU itself, a system of de facto precedent has emerged and every panel or appellate body carefully considers past cases in its decisions. Accordingly, a rich body of case law has developed from the jurisprudence of the Dispute Settlement Board (DSB). This major new publication is the first comprehensive exploration of this jurisprudence. Through an article-by-article interpretation of the DSU, this book analyses how the panels and Appellate Body have read, interpreted and construed the provisions of the DSU. Its expert authors provide detailed juridical essays on each of the 27 articles of the DSU, with precise commentary on how panel and Appellate Body reports and arbitral awards (over 100 to date) affect the interpretation and application of the various DSU provisions. The coverage also includes the special or additional rules and procedures referred to in some of the agreements covered by the DSU, especially the manner in which the DSB has applied such rules to anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing measures, and textiles. In addition, the volume reprints all of the DSU-related documents for easy reference. WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding: A Detailed Interpretation provides complete and through evaluation of the practical working meaning of the DSU. It will be of invaluable assistance to government officials, legal practitioners, scholars, media participants, non-governmental organisations, and other in their practical and important endeavors. The detailed analysis of this very important legal material will be welcomed by all concerned with matters of world trade and globalisation.

In a practical and authoritative article-by-article account, this volume covers the legislative history, interpretation and practical application of the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization.

Addresses the process of dispute resolution and appeal under the DSU of the WTO. This book covers politics and disputes between sovereign nations; power inequities in access to the DSU; specific categories of disputes, such as in agriculture and in intellectual property; and issues pertaining to compliance, enforcement and remedies.