Impasse at WTO

The meeting discussed the impasse in WTO's appellate body, one that could impact the existence of a Dispute Settlement Mechanism, indeed the entity's position as an effective multilateral organisation. The appellate body based in Geneva hears appeals brought by WTO members and consists of seven members. The US has blocked the nomination of new members to the entity. The two-day meeting also provided an opportunity to the developing countries and the Least Developed Countries to forge a consensus on how to move forward on WTO reforms, while preserving the fundamentals of the multilateral trading system.