Thread by @CoppetainPU

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines I'll only comment on the WTO. I've looked at four legs: negotiation, implementing the agreements, dispute settlement, development. Much of that is working well, and what the article says about biggest problem is wrong.

First, the four legs

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tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2017/12/17/wto…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines Let's take that last leg first. It's current, happening today. The WTO isn't a development agency but it's where donors and recipients of aid for trade meet. If you follow @wto, your Twitter feed will have been inundated with tweets like this.

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https://twitter.com/wto/status/1146304642726400000

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto What about dispute settlement? This👇🏾is what @guardian's story says. It's wrong. The problem is serious but not that bad. The problem is with the appeals stage of dispute settlement, not the whole process. Dispute settlement will continue. Why?

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theguardian.com/business/2019/…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto @guardian Why will it continue? Many countries are now working around the impending inability to appeal. Some have agreed to abide by the first stage (the "panel" ruling). Others are looking at alternative arbitration methods in WTO dispute settlement rules.

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theguardian.com/business/2019/…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto @guardian Efforts are also underway to try to resolve the problem with the Appellate Body, with a lot of proposals tabled, although here there's little sign of a quick resolution. Next report: July 23.

(Scroll down to "Appellate Body appointments" here👇🏾

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wto.org/english/news_e…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto @guardian The negotiating leg is limping, but a few agreements have been reached regularly, for example to scrap export subsidies on agricultural products, agreed in 2015. Members might even strike a deal on curbing fisheries subsidies next year.

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wto.org/english/tratop…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto @guardian As for that fourth and unsung leg — monitoring how the agreements are being implemented — yes, improvements are needed on how members share information for the peer reviews. But this work continues normally and is vital to keep world trade flowing.

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tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2017/12/17/wto…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto @guardian This is just one of dozens of "regular" committees meeting week-in week-out (except the August break), where the full range of WTO issues are discussed, wrinkles ironed out and disputes avoided by talking.

TBT = standards, regulations, labelling

8/n

wto.org/english/news_e…

@tim_harrap @DavidHenigUK @DmitryOpines @wto @guardian So. Yes, the WTO has problems. No, they aren't fatal, so long as WTO member governments continue to participate actively & to believe in the work they do at the WTO.

If they give up, that will be fatal. But no signs of that now, despite apparent flouting of some rules, etc.

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