ＷＴＯ紛争解決機能、回復目指す　年内に―Ｇ７貿易相会合

　先進７カ国（Ｇ７）貿易相会合が７日夜、オンライン形式で開かれ、共同声明を採択した。今月下旬開催予定の世界貿易機関（ＷＴＯ）閣僚会議を前に、「ＷＴＯ改革を加速させる」とし、自由で公正な多角的貿易体制を強化する方針を確認。機能停止が続くＷＴＯの紛争処理解決機能を２０２４年中に回復することを目指し関与することを盛り込んだ。
　ＷＴＯの紛争処理手続きの最終審に当たる上級委員会は、米国が委員選任に反対し、１９年末以降機能停止が続いている。前回のＷＴＯ閣僚会議で２４年中に「すべての加盟国が利用できる紛争解決制度の実現」を目指すことで合意しており、今月下旬にアラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）の首都アブダビで開かれる閣僚会議で主要議題の一つとなる。（2024/02/08-10:42）

Trade ministers from the Group of Seven major countries have agreed to pursue reforms to restore dispute settlement system functions of the World Trade Organization by the end of this year.
   In their joint communique adopted at an online meeting Wednesday, the ministers reaffirmed their determination to "boost the reform process" of the WTO ahead of its ministerial meeting to be held late this month in the United Arab Emirates in a bid to strengthen the free and fair multilateral trading system.
   The WTO's Appellate Body, the highest court for settling disputes, has stopped functioning since late 2019 as the United States opposed the appointments of its members.
   At the previous WTO ministerial meeting, participants agreed to realize a dispute settlement system accessible to all member countries by the end of 2024.
   Also in the communique, the ministers said they support the launching of deliberations on trade and industrial policy issues such as opaque subsidies as part of WTO reform efforts.