Participation in the WTO Dispute Settlement System

The study of the treatment of developing countries (DCs) in the WTO's dispute settlement system (DSS) is interesting because of its richness, its theoretical and practical approach to the rules of this organization, and its pitfalls involving transcending legal parameters. In 1994, in the Preamble to the WTO Agreement, Members noted the importance of giving "particular attention" to the participation of developing countries in international trade for their development. To demonstrate this "attention", the WTO's DSU, through its function of regulating international trade and settling disputes, is the ideal framework. In this perspective, this book addresses the essential question of whether the treatment or fate reserved for the participation of developing countries in this dispute resolution mechanism is fair. While the author concludes that the DRS is apparently participatory for developing countries, the reality of their treatment in this mechanism is inequitable.