G20 (Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy)

We must promote WTO reform with a sense of urgency.
As the G20, we need to provide an impetus to discussions in Geneva, so that we can promptly achieve feasible reforms on the WTO.
Japan welcomes various efforts underway at the WTO to improve each function of the WTO of monitoring, rule-making, and dispute settlement (DS).
On the reform of the dispute settlement system in particular, there are several concerns about the functioning of the Appellate Body.
First, the Appellate Body is not able to achieve prompt settlement of disputes as it often exceeds the timeline provided for in the WTO agreement.
Second, there have been cases in which it failed to make findings on the WTO consistency of the measures at issue and left them without achieving a satisfactory settlement.
Japan understands that there were cases in which disputing parties expressed their dissatisfaction about the outcomes of said Appellate Body’s findings.
Third, currently there is no mechanism through which WTO Members may raise their concern to the Appellate Body on the Appellate Body’s findings.
It is imperative that all WTO Members take these concerns on the dispute settlement system seriously and engage in discussions on how to address these concerns.
Japan, along with Australia and Chile, submitted a new proposal in April and will continue to contribute to the solution-oriented discussion.
To promote a free and fair economic zone throughout the world, regional trade agreements also play an indispensable role.
Japan is working towards the implementation and expansion of TPP11, as well as the implementation of the Japan-EU EPA.
Japan is also aiming to conclude the negotiation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year.
All these efforts demonstrate clearly Japan’s firm commitment to promoting the free trading system.