Treaty Interpretation by the WTO Appellate Body

Abstract

The WTO dispute settlement system is unusually strong but not necessarily unique. How the Appellate Body reads the WTO covered agreements is not a matter of WTO law, it is a technique of general international law. The Appellate Body comes to interpretation from within its function in the WTO institution as a juridical body. This book explains how the Appellate Body approaches the interpretation of the WTO covered agreements, and contributes to a more general understanding of how treaties are interpreted in practice. It is as much about general international law as it is about WTO law.