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STORY: WTO / AZEVEDO APPELLATE BODY
TRT: 3:30
SOURCE: WTO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 10 DECEMBER 2019, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, WTO headquarters exteriors.
2. Wide shot, WTO logo at entrance.
3. Wide shot, entrance to WTO main building.
4. Pan right, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo arrives for a press conference.
5. Wide shot, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo arrives for a press conference.
6. Wide shot, photo op with Director-General Roberto Azevêdo.
7. Med shot, photographers before the press conference.
8. Pan right, press conference under way.
9. Med shot, press conference under way.
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the WTO:
"You will have heard that members could not achieve consensus on a draft decision to reform the Appellate Body that was submitted by the facilitator, David Walker, Ambassador Walker. As of tomorrow, the Appellate Body will no longer be able to review new dispute rulings. And in this context, I think it's important to emphasize that WTO rules will remain in force and members for the most part will continue to apply the WTO rulebook out of economic self-interest, commitment to legal principle and of course, the desire to preserve sound relations with our trading partners. The Appellate Body situation does not mean the end of rules-based dispute settlement at the WTO. Members will continue to resolve WTO disputes through consultations, panels, and they will also use other mechanisms envisaged in the WTO agreements to resolve disputes and review rulings such as arbitration or good offices of the DG."
11. Med shot, journalists during press conference.
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the WTO:
"I am myself starting intensive consultations with members to determine what more we need to put on the table in our search for a permanent solution on second-step review and my consultations will start right away."
13. Wide shot, press conference under way.
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the WTO:
"We stimulate and urge members to try to find negotiated and mutually acceptable solutions before introducing any kind of trade-restrictive measures, because that simply compromises the environment of the global economy."
15. Med shot, journalist during press conference.
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the WTO:
“There is no doubt in anybody's mind that the dispute settlement system has been compromised and that we now live in a moment of uncertainty with regard to disputes that are ongoing. Now, having said that, like I pointed out before, it doesn't mean that there are no alternatives. There are many uncertainties.
17. Wide shot, press conference under way.
18. Med shot, journalists listen during press conference.
19. Med shot, journalists listen during press conference.
World Trade Organization’s Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said today “we now live in a moment of uncertainty with regard to disputes that are ongoing,” since as of tomorrow, 11 December, the WTO’s Appellate Body will no longer be able to review new dispute rulings due to lack of consensus among the WTO members.
Speaking at the press conference on the margins of the WTO’s General Council taking place in Geneva from 9 to 11 December, Director-General Azevêdo said “you will have heard that members could not achieve consensus on a draft decision to reform the Appellate Body that was submitted by the facilitator, David Walker.”
“As of tomorrow, the Appellate Body will no longer be able to review new dispute rulings. And in this context, I think it's important to emphasize that WTO rules will remain in force and members for the most part will continue to apply the WTO rulebook out of economic self-interest, commitment to legal principle and of course, the desire to preserve sound relations with our trading partners,” said Azevêdo. “The Appellate Body situation does not mean the end of rules-based dispute settlement at the WTO. Members will continue to resolve WTO disputes through consultations, panels, and they will also use other mechanisms envisaged in the WTO agreements to resolve disputes and review rulings such as arbitration or good offices of the DG," he said.
Director-General also said he is “starting intensive consultations with members to determine what more we need to put on the table in our search for a permanent solution on second-step review and my consultations will start right away."
Azevêdo’s intervention came after WTO members were unable to reach consensus on a proposal to address concerns regarding the functioning of the Appellate Body.
Earlier during the General Council, many members reportedly expressed their deep concern that the Appellate Body would no longer be in a position to consider new appeals after 10 December and cited the negative impact this would have on the WTO's dispute settlement system and the multilateral trading system as a whole.
