Foreword to the 1995–2010 edition

The WTO Appellate Body Repertory of Reports and Awards is intended to serve first and foremost as a source of information for those interested in the field of international trade law. It presents a systematic compilation of Appellate Body jurisprudence over the past 15 years. The Repertory was initially developed as an internal research tool to assist the Appellate Body Secretariat in carrying out its duty to provide legal advice to Appellate Body Members. The Secretariat subsequently decided to make the Repertory available to the public to serve as a practical tool for officials from WTO Members, particularly for those that may not have the resources to prepare similar compendiums in-house. We hope that the Repertory will also assist academics, students, private practitioners, and others with interest in international trade law and dispute settlement practice who need to consult and access precise information about the evolution of, and most recent developments in, Appellate Body jurisprudence.

The publication of the first edition of the Repertory marked the Tenth Anniversary of the establishment of the Appellate Body in 1995, and sought to commemorate the substantive body of jurisprudence developed by the Appellate Body during its first ten years. A second, updated edition was published in April 2006, and a third edition followed in 2007. This fourth edition contains additional material from the 16~Appellate Body Reports adopted by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body from 2007 through January 2010. Thus, this fourth edition now encompasses excerpts from more than one hundred Appellate Body Reports. The Repertory also contains excerpts from the 25 Arbitration Awards issued pursuant to Article~21.3(c) of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes determining the “reasonable period of time” for implementation of rulings by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. All Article 21.3(c) arbitrations have been carried out by current or former Appellate Body Members acting in their individual capacity. This fourth edition contains new excerpts from the four Awards issued from 2007 through 2009.