Participation of Non-State Actors in the Dispute Settlement System of the WTO: Benefit or Burden?

The establishment of the new dispute settlement system in 1995 is undoubtedly one of the major achievements of the WTO compared to the GATT. However, there are still areas that need improvement. This study focuses on one of the controversial reform issues: the participation of non-state actors in WTO dispute settlement, in particular through submission of amicus curiae briefs. This book outlines the legal bases for such forms of participation, the pertinent practice of WTO panels and its Appellate Body and gives an assessment of the positions that WTO Member States hold on this issue. Important policy considerations surrounding this topic are also analyzed. Further the study provides a comparative analysis of non-state actor participation in international investment arbitration.

Autorentext

The Author: Christina Knahr is a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of European, International and Comparative Law at the University of Vienna. She studied Law at the University of Vienna (Mag. iur. 1999, Dr. iur. 2006) and Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (MPA 2003). The author worked in the European Parliament in Brussels and spent one year as a Visiting Researcher at the European Law Research Center at Harvard Law School. Her research focuses on international economic law and international dispute settlement.

Inhalt
Contents: WTO Dispute Settlement Amicus Curiae Briefs Non-State Actors Third Party Participation Transparency International Investment Arbitration.