Robert Lawrence of the Kennedy School has a report out with CFR entitled "The United States and the WTO Dispute Settlement System." From the press release, here are some of his main recommendations. For the system:
Lawrence proposes a series of realistic fixes to bring about a more effective system:
- Allow greater participation by multinational corporations and nongovernmental organizations that have a stake in the proceedings;
- Open hearings before the dispute settlement panels to the public;
- Allow countries to appeal decisions in which the panel has authorized the plaintiff to retaliate;
- Increase the resources of the dispute settlement mechanism so as to accelerate decision-making.
For the U.S.:
Recommendations for the U.S. government include:
- Encourage the U.S. Trade Representative and Department of Commerce to be proactive in using dispute-settlement procedures to open significant export markets;
- Improve the United States’ record of compliance with WTO rulings;
- Establish a panel to examine incidences of U.S. violations of WTO rules and recommend steps to avoid recurrence.
The full report is available here.
