WTO Members Can Save Their ‘Crown Jewel’: A View from the Arab World

Abstract

On 10 December 2019, the impending impasse at the WTO Appellate Body (AB) cemented itself after the terms of two of the three remaining AB members expired as the US continued to block new nominations. Recent developments, like the proposals for unilateral countermeasures in trade and the COVID-19 pandemic, have sharpened the need to resolve the AB crisis. Interim solutions have indeed come forward such as the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Agreement (MPIA) under Article 25 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) with additional interim solutions that include the Director General’s (DG’s) good offices, conciliation, and mediation. This article examines some of the existing proposals, including the difficulties in implementing them. It also describes the Arab countries’ participation at the dispute settlement boday so far as well as views and positions on the practical matters on trade-related disputes resolution processes. It is argued that traditional Arab jurisprudence on dispute resolution can make valuable contributions to bypass the current situation whilst the stalemate at the AB is resolved.