About the WTO
The WTO dispute settlement system – from initiating proceedings to ensuring implementation: What needs improvement?
The dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is ten years old – just a baby, really, when compared with some international institutions. Thus it might seem a little early to undertake a wholesale evaluation of the system, and to ask what needs improvement. However, the WTO dispute settlement system has achieved a great deal in its first decade, so much that the tenth anniversary of the WTO dispute settlement system represents a significant milestone that deserves celebration.
Overview
The global trading system is undergoing a period of transition. Shifting economic circumstances, major advances in technology and the emergence of new players on the global scene all underscore that we are on the cusp of big changes. Persistent imbalances, driven largely by macro-economic factors continue to be a cause for concern in some major economies. In such a climate of uncertainty the WTO’s Member governments face the challenge of strengthening the global trading system, rendering it more equitable and relevant for those who trade in the 21st century. That objective was re-affirmed at the WTO’s Sixth Ministerial Conference, in Hong Kong, at the end of 2005. It remains the goal that drives the work of the organization in its pursuit of a successful conclusion to the Doha Round.
Accords commerciaux régionaux
En 2009, 37 nouveaux accords commerciaux régionaux (incluant les accords de libre-échange bilatéraux et interrégionaux) ont été notifiés à l'OMC . C'est le nombre de notifications d'ACR le plus élevé en une seule année depuis la création de l'OMC en 1995. Sur les 457 ACR notifiés à l'OMC au 31 décembre 2009, 266 étaient en vigueur (voir la figure 8).
WTO Secretariat
The WTO Secretariat, with offices in Geneva, has 640 staff on the regular budget and is headed by Director-General Pascal Lamy. Since decisions are taken by WTO members, the Secretariat has no decision-making powers. Its main duties are to supply technical and professional support for the various councils and committees, to provide technical assistance for developing countries, to monitor and analyse developments in world trade, to provide information to the public and the media, and to organize the ministerial conferences. The Secretariat also provides some forms of legal assistance in the dispute settlement process and advises governments wishing to become members of the WTO.
Overall theme: Is multilateralism in crisis?
Confronted with the Doha Round being stalled, a discussion has started on whether or not plurilateral negotiations should be initiated, or whether WTO members should pursue trade liberalization through free trade agreements (FTA s). This panel, jointly organized by BUS INESSEUR OPE and the US Chamber of Commerce, will assess whether plurilaterals and FTA s are effective approaches to tackle the challenges currently faced in multilateral trade negotiations. High-level representatives from the business community as well as WTO members will provide different perspectives on this controversial issue, discussing the merits and limitations of these approaches.
Trade in services
In 2009 the work in the Council for Trade in Services was reinvigorated by discussions of a number of services sectors and modes of supply, on the basis of new background notes produced by the WTO Secretariat. The notes are intended to capture the most relevant developments, from a trade perspective, that have occurred in key areas over the past decade. S even such papers were discussed in 2009, and another 13 will offer a basis for continued deliberations in 2010.
Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS)
The TRIPS Council carried out its regular work on promoting transparency of WTO members’ intellectual property systems and reviewing WTO members’ implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. It continued discussions on access to medicines for the poorest countries, biotechnology and technical cooperation, among other topics. The Council also exchanged information on and debated a number of issues raised by individual countries. It considered various aspects of innovation policy, in particular the role of university technology partnerships and innovation incubators, and heard a number of case studies. The Council also continued its discussions on climate change and tobacco control policies.
Relations with non-governmental organizations
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) received regular updates on WTO activities in 2016, including briefings on trade negotiations and other issues. They participated actively in the Public Forum, the WTO’s main outreach event with NGOs.
Trade monitoring reports
Five comprehensive reports on global trade developments in 2010 were prepared by the WTO Secretariat on behalf of the Director-General. Three of these reports, covering trade and investment measures taken by the Group of 20 (G-20) economies, were prepared jointly with the Secretariats of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OE CD) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The other two covered relevant measures taken by all WTO members and observers, and were discussed at TPR B meetings. The Director-General stressed at these meetings that the global crisis and the WTO’s trade-monitoring exercise underlined the importance of increased transparency for the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system.
Informes de vigilancia del comercio
Los informes de vigilancia del comercio mostraban que en 2015 los Miembros de la OMC continuaron introduciendo medidas restrictivas del comercio al mismo ritmo que el año anterior. Habida cuenta de las constantes incertidumbres en la economía mundial, en los informes se hacía hincapié en la necesidad de que los Miembros actuaran con moderación en cuanto a la aplicación de nuevas medidas y suprimieran más medidas ya existentes a fin de reducir el número total acumulado de restricciones. En los informes también se pedía una mayor transparencia en la esfera de las medidas no arancelarias.
Asuntos presupuestarios, financieros y administrativos
El Comité de Asuntos Presupuestarios, Financieros y Administrativos examinó los informes sobre la situación financiera y presupuestaria de la OMC y siguió deliberando sobre el examen estratégico de la Organización, iniciado en 2013. En noviembre se estableció una Oficina de Supervisión Interna.
Joining the WTO
Liberia and Afghanistan became the 163rd and 164th members of the WTO in 2016. Members agreed to start WTO membership talks for the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and to welcome them as observers to the WTO. Comoros kicked off its accession negotiations, while the working parties for the accession of Belarus and Sudan have resumed after interruptions of 12 and 13 years, respectively.
Doha Development Agenda
At the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001, WTO member governments agreed to launch a new round of trade negotiations. They also agreed to work on other issues, in particular the implementation of the current WTO agreements. The entire package is called the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) or the Doha Round. The negotiations take place in the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) and its subsidiaries, which are usually regular councils and committees meeting in special session or specially created negotiating groups. The chairs of the nine negotiating bodies report to the TNC, chaired by the WTO Director-General, which coordinates their work.
Activités en matière de règlement des différends en 2014
Dans le domaine du règlement des différends, 2014 a été l’une des années les plus chargées depuis la création de l’OMC en 1995, avec 34 procédures en cours aux niveaux du groupe spécial de la mise en conformité et de l’arbitrage et 6 appels. Une procédure très attendue sur les prescriptions concernant l’emballage neutre du tabac a été engagée contre l’Australie. L’Organe de règlement des différends (ORD), qui s’est réuni 14 fois, a reçu 14 demandes de consultations – première étape du processus de règlement des différends – et a établi 13 groupes spéciaux.
Standards and Trade Development Facility
Since 2002 the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) has expanded both in terms of participation and funding. A number of organizations, including the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UN CTAD), as well as donors and developing countries, participate in the STDF. Funding has expanded from US $ 300,000 of seed finance from the World Bank and the WTO in 2003 to US$ 5 million in 2009, with 16 additional donors contributing to the trust fund since the ST DF’s creation.
Exámenes de las políticas comerciales realizados en 2016
En 2016 la OMC realizó 23 exámenes de las políticas comerciales. Las fechas de los exámenes y los países examinados figuran en el mapa. En el sitio web de la OMC puede obtenerse más información, incluidas las observaciones del Presidente a modo de conclusión relativas a cada uno de los exámenes.