Third Party Participation at the WTO : What Have We Learned?

The issue of participation has always loomed large in the World Trade Organization. The question is, who is allowed into the room? When it comes to dispute settlement, the issue largely falls under a single mechanism. The one means by which countries other than the litigants can enter the room during WTO disputes is by joining as third parties. Third party status allows members to become privy to otherwise private consultations, as well as to voice their views to the panel and AB during litigation and have them recorded in the final ruling. Third party status has only gained in importance through time, as the institution has encouraged participation and gradually expanded third party rights. Since 1995, member states have entered the room on nearly a thousand occasions, to observe dispute proceedings or make their views heard. This chapter asks, what have we learned from 20 years of third party participation?