Member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) proposed changes to address the deadlock in the Appellate Body
Member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) – EU, Australia, Canada, China, Iceland, India, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Switzerland – published a proposal for specific changes to address the deadlock in the WTO Appellate Body. The proposal includes an increase to 9 full time working Appellate Body Members, with the term increased to 8 years, and new rules for outgoing members in order to increase efficiency and independence. In addition, the proposal sets measures to ensure that the appeal proceedings are concluded within 90 days (as set by WTO rules), explicitly excludes domestic legal issues from the subject matter jurisdiction, and mandates the Appellate Body to address only the issues necessary to resolve the dispute. The proposal foresees annual meetings between the WTO members and the Appellate Body in order to address trends in jurisprudence and any systemic issues. The proposal will be presented at the meeting of the WTO General Council on 12 December 2018.
About author
DW Team
The GIP Digital Watch Observatory team, consisting of over 30 digital policy experts from around the world, excels in the fields of research and analysis on digital policy issues. The team is backed by the creative prowess of Creative Lab Diplo and the technical expertise of the Diplo tech team.