RESTORING THE CROWN OF WTO: TASK AHEAD.

 The organizational structure of the world Trade Organisation (WTO) was headed by the Ministerial Conference composed of all member countries who  meet  at least once in two years .There is the General Council of WTO composed of all the members to oversee the operation of WTO agreements and Ministerial decisions on a regular basis. There is also Councils for- Trade in goods, trade in services, and Trade related aspects of intellectual property rights and also commitees on - Trade and Development, Balance of Payments and Budget Finance  and  Administration. WTO also have both Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB)  and most importantly the Dispute Settlement Body(DSB) which is often termed as the " Jewel " of WTO. The five methods of conflict resolution are-Accomodation,compromise,avoidance, competition, Collaboration and related items. The most common type of dispute resolution for  civil cases are mediation, settlement conferences, neutral evaluation and arbitration. The appellate body is composed of 7 members who are appointed by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to serve either to serve for 4 year term or to be reappointed for another term of 4 years,The DSB appoint members by concensus.

After the establishment of WTO in 1995 till the end of 2022, 622 disputes have been brought with more than 493 panel reports. Appalitics Body  reports and arbitral decisions were circled to advance the setting up of 615 drop referred the Dispute Settlement by the WTO. US has already initiated 115 dispute settlement cases and has been a respondent in thirteen cases. The US has intended 115 dispute settlement cases and has been  a respondent in 13 cases.Whereas the European Union has initiated 97 cases and has been a respondent in 84 cases. Other members that have been active participants in dispute settlement were Canada, China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Mexico and Korea. The dispute settlement system has to face a number of important challenges. For instance US has challenged India's export  subsidies ranging from sugar, fisheries, solar panels to electronics, iron and steel. The US also challenged India's retaliatory tariff of  28 products. India also had levied 10% counter duty on mobile phones and some other ICT products for the first time in July 2017 which subsequently increased to 15% and eventually 20% The dispute settlement system face many significant challenges against India. India's domestic support schemes and alleged export subsidies have led to a strong objections from countries like Guatemala, Brazil and Australia to request WTO dispute consultations against India. While arguing India asserted that the subsidies it provides were for production and marketing purposes which are permissible under WTO rules. Further India's sugar cane import is very negligible too insignificant to come under dispute settlement panels.Dispute settlement refers to members adopting a ministerial decision recognizing the progress accessible to all.Eversince the establishment of World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995 it's Dispute resolution or Dispute Settlement became the most powerful and popular crown Jewel or mechanism to solve the trade and non trade issues optimally.. Most of the countries big or small were able invariably to enjoy the fruits of resolution of appellate body.In India a substantial number of traditional knowledge based products were given recognition and authenticity after verification of scientific facts and evidence by WTO appellate body. However in June 2022 Geneva Ministerial Conference the members signed a deal on resurrecting the WTO's Dispute  settlement system by 2024.Currently the Dispute Settlement mechanism collapsed and WTO became ineffective. Even though twenty developing countries met in New Delhi recently they could not do much to revive WTO's dispute settlement mechanism. 

Ironically when there was a proposal to establish International Trade Organisation (ITO) along with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD-World Bank) USA objected to ITO for its wide powers.Later through Dunkel Draft and long Uruguay round of negotiations  more powerful WTO emerged. When it started delivering dispute settlement both small and big economies got more or less equal justice. This went against USA's vested  interest and they deliberately decided not only to withdraw dispute panel members reappointment but also to stop there existing employment. In any case for the smooth functioning of global trading system and the objective and well maintained dispute settlement system are  very vital. Let us hope that better sense will prevail to the global powers so as to restore a balanced fulfledged dispute settlement mechanism to promote global trade and development. 

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