On April 15, 1994, ministers representing 124 governments and the European Communities saluted the “historic achievement” represented by the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, which they believed would “strengthen the world economy and lead to more trade, investment, employment and income growth throughout the world.” The ministers adopted a declaration in which they welcomed “the stronger and clearer legal framework they ha[d] adopted for the conduct of international trade, including a more effective and reliable dispute settlement mechanism.”
From the outset, the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute-settlement system has enjoyed wide praise from WTO members, trade law practitioners and legal scholars, and, despite some criticisms voiced from time to time, it is readily regarded as effective and reliable and a significant improvement over dispute-settlement procedures employed under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The diversity, economic importance and subject-matter significance of the disputes submitted for resolution attest to the confidence members have that the system will resolve their trade irritants fairly and impartially. The results of those disputes have contributed importantly to the development of international trade law in the last 20 years.
As a major player in the WTO dispute-settlement system, both in helping craft its terms and in bringing and defending important trade challenges, Canada can take some credit for the success the WTO dispute-settlement mechanism has enjoyed since its establishment in 1995.
