As a member of the Columbia faculty and also the Member of the WTO Appellate Body from North America, I am very pleased that Columbia University hosted this Conference. The WTO was established ten years ago following the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations. The areas of economic activity now covered by international trade rules are much broader than those covered by the rules of the GATT. The WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism is also greatly altered from that of the pre-Uruguay Round period. The Uruguay Round introduced a binding dispute settlement system and the establishment of an Appellate Body comprised of seven members from around the world.

The current Members of the WTO Appellate Body thought that this was an appropriate moment to reflect on what has been accomplished and to discuss some of the important issues facing the dispute settlement system. As a result, some Members of the Appellate Body and the academic institutions with which they are affiliated have organized conferences in their home country or region. All of the regional conferences have been centrally focused on the dispute settlement system, yet each has selected other themes as well.

The Columbia Conference brought together a diverse group of leaders from around the world. The Conference examined the dispute settlement mechanism from many different perspectives. It also considered the governance and operation of the WTO and some of the challenges faced by developing countries. The goal of the Columbia Conference was ambitious: to serve as a forum for serious discussion and to contribute to scholarship. We hope that this Conference, and the publications that come from it, will enhance our collective knowledge of the WTO.

Sincerely,

Merit E. Janow
Professor in the Practice of International Economic Law & International Affairs, Columbia University
Member, WTO Appellate Body