The Appeal Crisis and its Repercussions on the Future of the Dispute Settlement System of the World Trade Organization

Abstract

The dispute settlement system at the World Trade Organization is witnessing the most serious crisis it has experienced since its inception in 1995. As of December 10, 2019, the Appellate Body no longer has the quorum required to decide on the appeals presented to it, due to the United States of America preventing the process of reappointing its members, which resulted in Disputes remain unresolved, which will inevitably affect the future of the dispute settlement system as the system that protects the rules of multilateral international trade. Although some members were able to find a temporary mechanism to address the crisis,represented by the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), the latter’s development still requires overcoming many difficulties, the most important of which are membership and funding.