DISPUTE SETTLEMENT SYSTEM TRAINING MODULE: CHAPTER 13

Further information

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Glossary

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All documents produced in the (WTO) dispute settlement system (with the exception of the parties’ submissions) are public. They are accessible via the dispute settlement gateway of the WTO’s website: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_e.htm.

This section will briefly explain the symbols of the most important WTO dispute settlement documents. The main categories of documents are:

WT/DSB

Documents of the Dispute Settlement Body (minutes of meetings, indicative list of panelists, annual reports etc.)

WT/AB

Documents of the Appellate Body outside of the framework of disputes (Working Procedures for Appellate Review)

WT/DS

WTO dispute settlement documents (from the requests for consultations to the authorization of the suspension of obligations)

WTO dispute settlement (WT/DS) documents can be looked for and recognized as follows:

WT/DSnumber/1

Requests for consultations

WT/DSnumber/##

Requests for the establishment of a panel, requests for arbitration, status reports, notification of appeals, decision of arbitrators under Article 21.3(c) of the DSU etc.

WT/DSnumber/R/

Panel reports

WT/DSnumber/RW/

Panel reports in compliance reviews under Article 21.5 of the DSU

WT/DSnumber/AB/R/

Appellate Body reports

WT/DSnumber/AB/RW/

Appellate Body reports in compliance reviews under Article 21.5 of the DSU

WT/DSnumber/ARB

Decisions of the Arbitrators under Article 22.6 of the DSU

WT/DS/OV/##

Update of WTO dispute settlement cases

  

Information and documents on the WTO Website  back to top

The above documents are accessible on the WTO website. The following sites are particularly relevant for the dispute settlement system:

Dispute settlement gateway

http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_e.htm

Panel and Appellate Body reports

http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_status_e.htm

Legal Texts (WTO Agreements)

http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/legal_e.htm

GATT panel reports

http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/gt47ds_e.htm

Official Documents of the WTO

http://docsonline.wto.org

The WTO’s Documents Online database (http://docsonline.wto.org) allows users to search for all WTO documents. One can search for documents using their documents symbols, numbers, key words, or by date.

 

Reference books  back to top

The first edition of the WTO Analytical Index1 has recently been published. The WTO Analytical Index contains excerpts from documents relating to the application of the entire WTO Agreement and the development of WTO law. It includes a chapter on the DSU containing extracts from panel and Appellate Body reports relating to the various articles of the DSU.

For the dispute settlement practice under GATT 1947, the GATT Analytical Index2 remains relevant.

 

Contacting the WTO  back to top

At the WTO Secretariat, the Legal Affairs Division has general responsibility for administration of the dispute settlement system. Disputes under the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the SCM Agreement fall within the particular responsibility of the Rules Division. The Appellate Body, which handles the appellate review of panel reports, has its own Secretariat. These divisions can be reached as follows:

Legal Affairs Division:

Tel: (+41)/(0) 22 739 52 48
Fax: (+41)/(0) 22 739 57 88

Rules Division:

Tel: (+41)/(0) 22 739 51 09
Fax: (+41)/(0) 22 739 55 05

Appellate Body Secretariat:

Tel: (+41)/(0) 22 739 51 30
Fax: (+41)/(0) 22 739 57 86

Mailing address of the WTO:

154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland.

  

Notes:

1. WTO Analytical Index: Guide to WTO Law and Practice, 1st edition (2003).  back to text

2. World Trade Organization, Analytical Index: Guide to GATT Law and Practice, Vols. 1 and 2 (6th ed., 1995).  back to text

  

  

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Disclaimer
This interactive training module is based on the “Handbook on the WTO Dispute Settlement System” published in 2004. The second edition of this handbook published in 2017 can be found at here.

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