The members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have not met their target of having a fully operational Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) by the end of 2024 (see EUROPE 13531/31, 13362/13).
The Chairperson of the WTO General Council, Petter Ølberg, said, on Wednesday 18 December, that further work was needed to reach a mutually acceptable outcome. He has therefore asked the delegations to meet in January to hold bilateral consultations and try to find the best way to move the reform forward. He also stressed that progress had been made on several aspects of the reform.
For example, according to Petter Ølberg, the subject of members’ access to dispute resolution is close to being the subject of a final text. In his statement, he explained that the delegations had clearly understood the access issues for the least developed countries and the need to support them.
Progress has also been made on the issue of the DSB’s costs and funding, but negotiations are still needed to bring this part to a close.
With regard to the Appellate Body, the members agreed on a number of technical issues, such as reducing the scope of requests handled. But the form of the Appellate Body and its role have yet to be defined. The majority of Member States are satisfied with the current system. However, some countries, led by the United States, believe that it should be completely overhauled. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)