Executive Office of the President September 17, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of the United States Trade Representative is seeking to update the current list of U.S. non-governmental individuals on the indicative list of potential panelists maintained by the WTO Secretariat, as provided for in Article 8.4 of the DSU. The DSU provides a mechanism for the settlement of disputes between the Members of the WTO. A three-person panel conducts each dispute settlement proceeding and issues a report for consideration by the Dispute Settlement Body (``DSB''). The indicative list assists in selecting panelists for dispute settlement proceedings; panelists often are drawn from the indicative list, although there is no requirement to do so. Article 8.4 of the DSU also provides for periodically updating the indicative list. Section 123(b) of the Uruguay Round Agreement Act (``URAA''), Public Law 103-405, provides that the Trade Representative shall seek to ensure that persons appointed to the WTO indicative list are well-qualified and that the indicative list includes persons with expertise in all of the subject matters covered by the Uruguay Round Agreements. USTR invites citizens of the United States with appropriate qualifications, discussed below, to apply for consideration as a nominee to the indicative list.