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Messrs Ramírez and
Van den Bossche will replace Mr Luiz Olavo Baptista, who resigned
owing to health reasons with effect from 11 February 2009, and Mr Giorgio
Sacerdoti, whose second and final term expires on 11 December 2009. The DSB also
agreed to reappoint Mr David Unterhalter for a second four-year term starting on
12 December 2009.
The appointments were made according to the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU)
which stipulates that the Appellate Body shall “comprise persons of recognized
authority, with demonstrated expertise in law, international trade and the
subject matter of the WTO agreements generally.” The DSU also requires that the
Appellate Body membership be broadly representative of the WTO membership.
Candidates were nominated by WTO Members and interviewed by a Selection
Committee comprising the Director-General, and the Chairpersons of the General
Council, the DSB, the Council for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in
Services and the TRIPS Council. The appointments were made by the DSB on the
basis of the Selection Committee's recommendation and following consultations
with WTO Members.
Notes to editors
1. Biographical notes on the two new members are attached. Biographical data on
all of the Appellate Body members and former members may be found on the
WTO web site.
2. The Appellate Body hears appeals from dispute settlement panel reports on
issues of law covered in the panel report and legal interpretations developed by
the panel. Three members of the Appellate Body hear and determine any one
appeal. The Appellate Body can uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and
conclusions of a panel. Appellate Body reports are adopted by the Dispute
Settlement Body, and unconditionally accepted by the parties to the dispute,
unless there is a consensus against adoption. Since its establishment in
November 1995, the Appellate Body has issued 97 reports and every report has
been adopted.
Biographical Note — Ricardo Ramírez Hernández
Born in Mexico on 17 October 1968, Ricardo Ramírez is Counsel and Head of the
International Trade Practice for Latin America at the law firm of Chadbourne &
Parke in Mexico City. His practice has focused on issues related to NAFTA and
trade across Latin America, including international trade dispute resolution. He
holds the Chair of International Trade Law at the Mexican National University (UNAM)
in Mexico City.
Prior to practicing with a law firm, Mr. Ramírez was Deputy General Counsel for
Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Economy in Mexico for more than a decade.
In this capacity, he provided advice on trade and competition policy matters
related to 11 Free Trade Agreements signed by Mexico, as well as with respect to
multilateral agreements, including those related to the WTO, the Free Trade Area
of the Americas (FTAA), and the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI).
Mr. Ramírez also represented Mexico in complex international trade litigation
and investment arbitration proceedings. He acted as lead counsel to the Mexican
government in several WTO disputes. He has also served on NAFTA panels.
Mr. Ramírez holds an LL.M. degree in International Business Law from the
Washington College of Law of the American University, and a law degree from the
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.
Biographical Note — Peter Van den Bossche
Born in Belgium on 31 March 1959, Peter Van den Bossche is currently Professor
of International Economic Law and Head of the Department of International and
European Law at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He also serves as the
Academic Director of Maastricht University's Institute for Globalization and
International Regulation and is on the faculty of the World Trade Institute in
Berne, and the Institute of European Studies of Macau.
Mr. Van den Bossche has extensive experience in academia and has published
extensively in the field of international economic law. The second edition of
his textbook The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization was published by
Cambridge University Press in 2008. Mr. Van den Bossche is a Member of the Board
of Editors of the Journal of International Economic Law. He has also acted as a
consultant to many developing countries.
From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Van den Bossche was Counsellor and subsequently Acting
Director of the WTO Appellate Body Secretariat. From 1990 to 1992, he served as
a Référendaire of Advocate General W. van Gerven at the European Court of
Justice in Luxembourg.
Mr. Van den Bossche holds a Doctorate in Law from the European University
Institute, Florence, an LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School, and a
Licentiaat in de Rechten magna cum laude from the University of Antwerp.
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