Evaluating WTO Dispute Settlement: What Results Have Been Achieved Through Consultations and Implementation of Panel Reports?

This paper examines the operation and accomplishments of two under-studied aspects of the WTO dispute settlement system - the consultation process and the implementation results. After a brief summary of the operation of the WTO dispute settlement system - focusing on consultations and the implementation process - the paper examines in detail the results of consultations and the record on implementation. As part of that examination, it examines various proposals on consultations and implementation that have been made over the years in the ongoing dispute settlement reform negotiations.