In 2005, the first dispute settlement panels of the World Trade Organization (WTO) decided that the public could observe their oral hearings. Following three years of panel practice with open hearings where both parties requested public access, the Appellate Body in 2008 followed suit and held...

Globalization creates a demand for international rule-making, and the WTO remains the forum for creating binding and enforceable international trade rules. The WTO therefore needs an effective decision-making system capable of resolving diverging interests. Although the WTO Agreement foresees...

The Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization reserves the right to adopt 'authoritative interpretations' of the multilateral trade agreements to the Ministerial Conference and the General Council. Given that, to date, this instrument has not been used, the present article intends to...