WTO Dispute Settlement Body Recap

During the June 30 DSB meeting, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard announced that Venezuelan Jorge Castro, currently serving as the Chief of the Training Section at the WTO's Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation, will be the new Director of the WTO's Legal Affairs Division.

No Progress on Appellate Body Stalemate

Guatemala, speaking for 129 members, once again presented the group's proposal to initiate the selection process to fill vacancies on the Appellate Body, marking the 67th time the proposal has been put forth. Guatemala highlighted the shared concern over the current situation of the Appellate Body, emphasizing its negative impact on the overall WTO dispute settlement system.

The United States maintained its stance of not supporting the proposed appointments to the Appellate Body, insisting on addressing their enduring concerns with WTO dispute settlement. The US underscored the need for substantial reform to ensure an efficient and transparent resolution of disputes and limit the complexity and overreach seen in recent years. They insisted that the reform should cater to the interests of all members.

Twenty-five delegations voiced their support for the proposal, many highlighting the importance of the WTO's two-tiered dispute settlement system for the security, predictability, and stability of the global trading system. They further emphasized the urgent need to resolve the deadlock and expressed their commitment to a fully functioning dispute settlement system by 2024.

Eight members mentioned the Multi-party interim appeal arrangement (MPIA) as a temporary solution to secure appeals review during the Appellate Body's non-operational period.

Under this agenda, eleven members condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, expressing solidarity with Ukraine and its people. Russia retorted that such political issues fall outside the competence of the DSB and WTO.

Chair Petter Ølberg reminded the members of their commitment made at MC12 to have a fully functioning dispute settlement system by 2024 and expressed hope for a collective solution.