The General Council Chair of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has acknowledged significant progress in discussions on dispute settlement reform. Over the past six months, approximately 170 hours of plenary technical meetings have been conducted, resulting in a draft negotiating document that addresses appeal and review reforms. This document aims to refine claims eligible for appeal, clarify adjudicators' roles, enhance interim review stages for error correction, and enforce procedural timelines.
Despite these advancements, the Chair urged members to reconcile differing interests regarding the structure and role of an appeal/review mechanism. Ambassador Ølberg highlighted near-finalization of a chapter on capacity building and technical assistance, which recognizes developing members' needs and establishes mechanisms for dialogue with the WTO Secretariat.
Progress has also been made on "Costs and Funding," with a first draft tabled to capture members' concerns. Ambassador Ølberg plans to consult with delegations early next year to build on this progress.
More than 40 members commented on the Chair's statement. The Director-General commended the work done despite not meeting this year's mandate: “Sometimes the race takes a long time to run,” she noted.
Ambassador Ølberg emphasized that while progress is recognized, more work is needed. A WTO retreat focused on development will be held in Geneva on January 16th under the theme “Trade as a tool for development and way forward.”
In other discussions, India requested four submissions related to fisheries subsidies be added to the General Council agenda. DG Okonjo-Iweala reported that Iceland had withdrawn two draft decisions due to stalled discussions among members but assured continued efforts next year.
The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is nearing entry into force following Cameroon's acceptance, bringing total acceptances to 88 out of 111 required.
On investment facilitation for development (IFD), consensus was not reached regarding its inclusion under Annex 4 of the Marrakesh Agreement. Preparations are underway for further discussions led by Ambassadors Sofía Boza and Jung Sung Park.
A proposal was introduced by participants in the Joint Initiative on E-commerce aiming to incorporate it into the Marrakesh Agreement with further negotiations planned. Ninety-one WTO members are involved in these discussions representing over 90% of global trade.
DG Okonjo-Iweala delivered her periodic report on cotton development assistance, describing 2024 as transformative with initiatives like "Partenariat pour le Coton" launched earlier this year. She reiterated WTO's commitment to supporting cotton-producing countries through job creation and poverty reduction efforts.