Bridging Gaps in WTO Governance: A Case for the Consultative Steering Committee

The failure of Ministerial Conferences (MC13) to deliver meaningful results has reignited the debate about World Trade Organization (WTO) governance and how to increase the chances of achieving better outcomes in future. Although there are many reasons for the disappointing results at MC13, this article addresses the specific issue of a lacking WTO Steering or Executive Committee. The WTO is the only International Organization coming out of the Bretton Woods system that lacks such a set up. It is examined whether the informal Green Room that was abolished in 2014 could be brought back in some new form, in order to generate stronger informal engagement and opportunities for peer pressure between a representative sub-set of Members. While any change to the institutional set-up of an international organization presents significant challenges, the analysis suggests that it is at least conceptually possible to combine balanced participation with a cap on numbers to protect effectiveness.