The Nature Of The Dispute Settlement Mechanism Of GATT/WTO

The　dispute　settlement　mechanism　of　GATT/WTO　has　always　been　the　focus　in　the　field　of　international　economic　law.　Because　of　China's　entry　into　WTO,it　is　significant　for　China　to　effectively　use　the　mechanism　to　understand　exactly　the　nature　of　the　GATT/WTO　dispute　settlement　mechanism,　esp.　the　one　of　WTO.　This　author　hereby　analyzes　the　nature　of　GATT/WTO　dispute　settlement　mechanism　and　hold　that　the　dispute　settlement　mechanism　of　GATT　is　quasi-judicial,　while　the　WTO　is　judicial.　This　author　hereby　discusses　the　standard　of　"judicial　dispute　settlement　mechanism"　from　the　evolvement　of　the　methods　of　international　dispute　settlement.　This　author　analyzes　the　nature　of　GATT/WTO　dispute　settlement　mechanism　using　the　standard　set　up　through　domestic　judicial　dispute　settlement　mechanism.　The　methods　of　international　dispute　settlement　have　evolved　from　war　to　peaceful　means　and　from　political　means　to　legal　means.　The　dispute　settlement　mechanism　of　GATT/WTO　has　also　experienced　the　argument　about　"power-oriented"　and　"rule-oriented",　which　finally　jumped　into　the　judicial　mechanism　at　Uruguay　Round.　Because　the　mechanism　of　dispute　settlement　of　GATT/WTO　includes　both　political　means　and　legal　means,　there　are　different　views　on　the　nature　of　it.　The　argument　has　continued　from　the　birth　of　GATT　to　the　establishment　of　WTO　and　to　the　present.　After　comprehensively　analyzing　these　different　views,　this　author　hereby　hold　that　to　determine　the　nature　of　a　dispute　settlement　mechanism　should　be　historically,　comprehensively　and　dynamically,　not　separately,　partly　and　rigidly.　To　conclude　right,　the　more　important　is　take　into　account　the　"ought-to"　of　the　dispute　settlement　mechanism.　The　history　of　GATT　has　decided　the　birth　defect　and　the　zigzag　way　of　its　dispute　settlement　mechanism.　This　author　hereby　reviews　the　history　of　GATT　and　the　evolvement　of　its　dispute　settlement　mechanism　and　its　achievements　and　defects.　On　this　base　,　this　author　concludes　that　the　GATT's　dispute　settlement　mechanism　is　quasi-judicial.　Because　China　has　entered　into　the　WTO,　it　has　actual　significance　to　understand　the　nature　of　WTO's　dispute　settlement　mechanism.　According　to　the　general　standard　of　judicial　dispute　settlement,　this　author　masters　the　major　procedure　of　WTO's　dispute　settlement　mechanism—the　panel　and　AB　procedures—to　conclude　that　the　dispute　settlement　mechanism　of　WTO　is　judicial　after　examining　the　compulsory　jurisdiction,　the　legal　text　and　interpretation　and　application　,the　independence　of　dispute　settlement　body　and　its　procedure　and　the　international　legal　obligation　of　its　decision.　Last　but　not　least,　this　author　demonstrates　the　significance　of　understanding　the　nature　of　the　dispute　settlement　mechanism　of　WTO　to　China's　effectively　using　the　mechanism　to　serve　China's　economic　development.