Inaugural CIL-NUS Academy of International Trade
WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism: Is It Still the Crown Jewel of World Trade? | Michelle Zang
Wed 26–Thu 27 April 2023, 3–5pm Singapore Time
Since the inception of the WTO, the dispute settlement mechanism (DSM) has been widely considered as the jewel in the crown of the multilateral trading system. Almost 30 years have passed, is it remaining the case, particularly in light of the ongoing crisis at the Appellate Body and the significant rise of the regional trade agreements (RTAs)? Our discussion will travel from the original GATT system for disputes between Contracting Parties, the establishment of the WTO DSM, to the underlying political and legal controversies, as well as the most recent development, bilaterally, regionally and globally.
Syllabus and Readings
- Andreas Lowenfeld, International Economic Law (2nd ed, Oxford, 2008), chapter 8, sections 8.1 through 8.7.
- Davey, W. (2022). WTO Dispute Settlement: Crown Jewel or Costume Jewelry? World Trade Review,21(3), 291-300.
Session I: review of the development of the WTO DSM since 1995, the legal interpretation and de facto law-making established, the major concerns of the system, as well as the process and procedures thereunder.
Session II: discussion of the recent development of international trade dispute settlement at the WTO and RTAs, inter alia, the Appellate Body crisis, RTA the dispute settlement and the establishment of the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) at the WTO.
Dr. Michelle Zang is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Victoria University of Wellington and is a Co-Director for the New Zealand Centre of International Economic Law. She holds Bachelor in Law from Fudan University (China), LLM in European Legal Studies (Distinction) and PhD in EU Law and WTO Law from Durham University (UK). Before joining Victoria University Wellington – Te Herenga Waka, Michelle completed post-doc research at Jean Monnet Center, NYU Law School (2010 – 2011) and at PluriCourts, University of Oslo (2014 – 2018). In between, she worked for the Appellate Body Secretariat of the WTO (2011) and King & Wood Mallesons, Beijing (2012 – 2013).