Sans appel mais pas sans attrait : le règlement des différends de l’OMC sans l’organe d’appel

This research paper by Robert Howse analyzes the current state of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system following the blockage of the Appellate Body by the Trump administration. Howse argues that despite the absence of a functioning Appellate Body, the system remains resilient as panels continue to follow established jurisprudence, and some members are experimenting with ad hoc arbitration mechanisms like the MPIA.

• The WTO dispute settlement system has been in a state of uncertainty since the Trump administration blocked the appointment of new members to the Appellate Body, a position that the Biden administration has not reversed.
• Despite the lack of an Appellate Body, WTO members continue to use the panel process for dispute resolution, suggesting the system is not as failed as some critics claim.
• Panels established after the Appellate Body's collapse have largely continued to apply its previous jurisprudence to maintain legal certainty, effectively treating it as an 'informal constitution' of the WTO.
• Some WTO members, including China, Japan, and the EU, have implemented the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) to provide a temporary appellate mechanism.
• The author suggests that a future Appellate Body could regain legitimacy even if the United States does not accept its mandatory jurisdiction, similar to how the International Court of Justice operates.
• The author argues that restoring the original dispute settlement arrangements is not the only priority for the WTO, as other urgent issues include fisheries subsidies, trade finance accessibility, and debt crises in the Global South.

APA

Howse, R. (n.d.). Sans appel mais pas sans attrait : le règlement des différends de l’OMC sans l’organe d’appel. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/sans-appel-mais-pas-sans-attrait-le-reglement-des-differends-de-lomc-sans

Chicago

Howse, Robert. Sans appel mais pas sans attrait : le règlement des différends de l’OMC sans l’organe d’appel. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/sans-appel-mais-pas-sans-attrait-le-reglement-des-differends-de-lomc-sans.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Howse |first1=Robert |title=Sans appel mais pas sans attrait : le règlement des différends de l’OMC sans l’organe d’appel |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/sans-appel-mais-pas-sans-attrait-le-reglement-des-differends-de-lomc-sans |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{howsendsans, author = {Howse, Robert}, title = {{Sans appel mais pas sans attrait : le règlement des différends de l’OMC sans l’organe d’appel}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/sans-appel-mais-pas-sans-attrait-le-reglement-des-differends-de-lomc-sans}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }