Exchange Session on WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism Theory and Practice Held at ICDPASO

Beijing, 16 October 2025– The delegation from the Workshop on the Theory and Practice of the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism visited the Secretariat of the International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO) for a thematic exchange session. Senior diplomats from WTO missions and officials from trade and foreign-affairs ministries of 11 countries,  along with relevant officials from the Legal Affairs Department and the Academy of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) participated in the event.

During the exchange session, Mr. TAN Xinghuan, Third Secretary of the  Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to WTO, representing the organizer, introduced the background of the workshop. Ms. SHEN Peilan, Deputy Director General of Legal Affairs Department of CCPIT, systematically elaborated on CCPIT's core business lines and commercial legal service system. Ms. ZHOU Jinzhu, Vice President of the CCPIT Academy, provided a professional presentation on the "Global Supply Chain Promotion Report and Index Matrix." Mr. Jason CHIA, Secretary-General of ICDPASO, highlighted the ICDPASO's establishment background, core mission, and innovative practices in building a diversified dispute prevention and settlement service system.

After comprehensively introducing the development history and business structure of CCPIT's legal service system, Ms. SHEN Peilan,Deputy Director General of the Legal Affairs Department of CCPIT, emphasized that the CCPIT legal service framework has evolved into a full-chain service system covering multiple fields such as commercial mediation, arbitration, intellectual property, and compliance building. She specifically mentioned that ICDPASO, an international organization initiated by CCPIT, plays a positive role in promoting the prevention and resolution of international commercial disputes.

Based on a major CCPIT research project, Ms. ZHOU Jinzhu, Vice President of the CCPIT Academy, elaborated on five key aspects of industrial chains: Firstly, the continuous improvement in global infrastructure connectivity, accompanied by simultaneous enhancements in the quality and scale of infrastructure construction in the Global South; Secondly, the increasing focus of international economic and trade rules on the inclusive development of global supply chains; Thirdly, the ongoing efforts by major economies to strengthen their own supply chain resilience; Fourthly, the significantly enhanced role of technological innovation in driving global supply chain development; and Fifthly, the further improvement in the inclusivity of global financial services.

Mr. Jason CHIA, Secretary-General of ICDPASO, exchanged views on the one-stop legal services with an emphasis on dispute prevention. Starting from ICDPASO's positioning as an international non-governmental organization, he introduced ICDPASO's principles of co-consultation, co-construction, and sharing benefits, covering its governance structure and membership system. Based on an introduction to the advantages and features of ICDPASO's Prevention Rules (Rules for Good Offices and Consultation), Mediation Rules, and Arbitration Rules, he shared ICDPASO's experience in one-stop dispute resolution with the officials and representatives of the workshop. Mr. Jason CHIA also cited ICDPASO's achievements in participating in the formulation of international rules within frameworks such as ISO and B20. He affirmed ICDPASO's steadfast support for global cooperation and active participation in international rule-making. Regarding the features of the commercial arbitration rules, he pointed out that the ICDPASO Arbitration Rules emphasize both efficiency and fairness, fully respect party autonomy, integrate international best practices, and provide efficient and professional dispute resolution services for cross-border commercial entities.

During the discussion session, participants engaged in lively and in-depth discussions against the backdrop of challenges facing the multilateral trading system. The focus was on how developing WTO members can revitalize the WTO's dispute settlement function, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and create a stable and predictable international trade environment for businesses worldwide.

H.E. ADAMU MOHAMMED, Ambassador of the Nigerian Delegation to the WTO, highly appreciated ICDPASO's efforts in promoting the prevention and settlement of international commercial disputes, particularly its diversified, one-stop legal services, which provide strong support for developing countries in global trade governance. H.E. Fancy Chepkemoi TOO, Ambassador of the Nigerian Delegation to the WTO stated that the innovative mechanisms and professional services of ICDPASO will offer new options for dispute prevention and resolution to enterprises from its member states and even those participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. She looks forward to deeper cooperation with ICDPASO in the future regarding dispute prevention and the construction of a commercial legal service system. Other participants also expressed their recognition of ICDPASO's work for its constructive role in promoting the stability and predictability of the international trade environment.

This exchange session not only effectively deepened all parties' understanding of international dispute resolution mechanisms represented by the distinctive legal services of the CCPIT, industrial chain legal services, and ICDPASO's one-stop legal services, but also promoted communication and coordination between ICDPASO, the WTO, and relevant national commerce and foreign affairs departments, injecting new momentum into advancing the development of the multilateral trading system and deepening international rules cooperation.