• News items (News of Dispute Settlement Body meetings, etc)
  > 2004    > 2003    > 2002    > 2001
  These links go to the general WTO news archives. To view the news items related to the latest dispute cases, choose “Edit” and then “Find in page” on the menu bar of your browser and type the keyword “dispute” in the window.

  
  
Introduction to dispute settlement in the WTO    > back to top

How does the WTO settle disputes?
This link takes you to the section on disputes in the WTO guide, “Understanding the WTO”. Use your browser’s “back” button to return to this page.

> Video: Case studies of WTO dispute settlement

  
  
The legal basis    > back to top

The Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) — the main WTO agreement on settling disputes. Like the bulk of the WTO agreements, this was one of the outcomes of the Uruguay Round negotiations.

• A technical explanation
• Browse or download the text of the DSU from the legal texts gateway

Rules of Conduct on rules and procedures for settling disputes, adopted in December 1996

Working Procedures for Appellate Review

 
  
The Dispute Settlement Body    > back to top

Made up of all member governments, usually represented by ambassadors or equivalent. The current chairperson is H.E. Ms. Amina MOHAMED (Kenya).

 
 
The Appellate Body    > back to top

The permanent seven-member Appellate Body is set up by the Dispute Settlement Body and broadly represents the range of WTO membership. Members of the Appellate Body have four-year terms. They have to be individuals with recognized standing in the field of law and international trade, not affiliated with any government.

 
 
New negotiations on the Dispute Settlement Understanding    > back to top

A 1994 Ministerial Decision says dispute settlement rules should be reviewed by 1 January 1999. The review started in the Dispute Settlement Body in 1997. The deadline was extended to 31 July 1999, but there was no agreement.

In November 2001, at the Doha Ministerial Conference, member governments agreed to negotiate to improve and clarify the Dispute Settlement Understanding. Ministers said that the new negotiations should be concluded not later than May 2003. These negotiations take place in special sessions of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB).

On 24 July 2003, acknowledging the fact that the DSB special session needed more time to conclude its work, the General Council agreed to extend the special session's timeframe by one year, to May 2004.

• The Doha Ministerial Declaration, November 2001
• Explanation of the Doha Ministerial Declaration
• The 1994 Ministerial Decision (Download in WordPerfect format 2 pages; 22KB) — in pdf format (1 page; 31KB).

   
 
The disputes    > back to top

• The disputes, chronologically
  
• The disputes by subject
    
• Dispute rulings, by country:
  > A to D    > E to I    > J to P    > Q to Z
    
• List of panel, appeal and arbitration rulings, all combined or per year
  
• GATT disputes: panel reports adopted within the framework of GATT 1947, i.e. pre-WTO

Buy the book: Dispute Settlement Reports from Cambridge University Press (co-publisher). This is the only WTO-authorized paginated version.
  

 
 
How to search for and download dispute settlement documents    > back to top

  
  
Links    > back to top

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