FMG Online Brainstorming on the Dispute Settlement Body and Appellate Body Crisis

On 2^nd May 2022, the Friends of Multilateralism Group (FMG) organized an online brainstorming session on the Dispute Settlement Body and Appellate Body crisis of the WTO, based on the recent paper WTO 2025: Restoring binding dispute settlement of Alan Wolff, FMG member and former Deputy Director General to the WTO. Gabrielle Marceau, Senior Counsellor in the Research Division (ERSD) of the WTO Secretariat moderated this session.

 

Alan Wolff; Peter Van den Bossche, Director of Studies of the World Trade Institute (WTI) and former Member of the Appellate Body; Mario Matus, FMG member and former Ambassador of Chile to the WTO; Ji Wenhua, Professor at the Law School of University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), China; and Jan Yves Remy, Director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC) of University of the West Indies, Barbados shared their insights and suggestions on solving the WTO Appellate Body crisis and restoring the Dispute Settlement Body.

 

Nearly 70 participants joined the brainstorming, including members of FMG, Friends of FMG and Punta del Este Group (PEG), Ambassadors/DPRs of WTO members, Directors of WTO Divisions, representatives from related international organizations and experts from renowned universities.

 

Recording of this session can be watched via: https://youtu.be/rc77BSFUDAQ

 

Annex 1: Programme

15:00-15:02	Opening Remarks Speaker: Xiankun Lu (FMG)
15:02-15:05	Introduction Speaker: Gabrielle Marceau (Senior Counsellor in the Research Division (ERSD) of the WTO Secretariat)
15:05-15:45	Presentations Moderator: Gabrielle Marceau (Senior Counsellor in the Research Division (ERSD) of the WTO Secretariat)
15:05- 15:17	Speaker 1: Alan Wolff (FMG)
15:17- 15:24	Speaker 2: Peter Van den Bossche (WTI)
15:24- 15:31	Speaker 3: Mario Matus (FMG, tbc)
15:31- 15:38	Speaker 4: Ji Wenhua (Professor of University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), China)
15:38-15:45	Speaker 5: Jan Yves Remy (The University of the West Indies)
15:45- 16:30	Discussions Moderator: Gabrielle Marceau (Senior Counsellor in the Research Division (ERSD) of the WTO Secretariat)

 

Annex 2: List of confirmed participants

 

I.FMG/FFMG

Mercedes Araoz (FMG)

Clemens Boonekamp (FMG)

Daniel Crosby (FMG)

Jonathan T. Fried (FMG)

Stuart Harbinson (FMG)

Alejandro Jara (FMG)

Xiankun Lu (FMG)

Hamid Mamdouh (FMG)

Mario Matus (FMG)

Mia Mikic (FMG)

Sherry Stephenson (FMG)

Thu-Lang Tran Wasescha (FMG)

John M Weekes (FMG)

Alan Wolff (FMG)

 

II.WTO Missions

Egypt: Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin, Ambassador

Mexico: Ángel Villalobos, Ambassador

Sweden: Mikael Anzén, Ambassador

The Philippines: Manuel Teehankee, Ambassador

EU: Hiddo Houben, DPR

 

III.WTO Secretariat

Lim Aik Hoe, Director, Trade and Environment Division

Werner Zdouc, Director, Knowledge and Information Management, Academic Outreach and WTO Chairs Programme

Gabrielle Marceau, Counsellor for Research on Legal Policy, Economic Research and Statistics Division

Valerie Hughes, Arbitrator, Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement

Claudia Orozco, Arbitrator, Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement

 

IV.Think Tanks

Bill Reinsch, PIIE

Jeff Schott, PIIE

 

V.Universities

Henry Gao, Singapore Management University

Petros C. Mavroidis, Columbia Law School