,,iv #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #gdf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,december #f1 #bjai,mr4 ,kind 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,schweikert1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,marchant1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,missouri1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 and ,mr4 ,estes7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that the ,united ,states should reaffirm its commitment as a member of the ,world ,trade ,organization 7,,wto7 and work with other ,,wto members to achieve reforms at the ,,wto that improve the speed and predictability of dispute settlement1 address longstanding concerns with the ,,wto's ,appellate ,body1 increase transparency at the ,,wto1 ensure that ,,wto members invoke special and differential treatment reserved for developing countries only in fair and appropriate circumstances1 and update the ,,wto rules to address the needs of the ,united ,states and other free and open economies in the #bast century4 ,whereas the ,united ,states is an original member of the ,world ,trade ,organization 7,,wto7 and a key architect of the institution2 ,whereas the ,,wto is a critical forum for strengthening the multilateral rules-based trading system and a bedrock of ,united ,states trade policy2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has provided the leadership and political will to advance the goal of the ,,wto to raise standards of living1 expand the production of and trade in goods and services1 create and enforce rules that reduce obstacles to international trade that help ensure a level playing field2 ,whereas sustained ,united ,states leadership in the ,,wto provides best paths to achieve necessary ,,wto reforms1 create new trade rules that enhance opportunities for all1 and address the needs and challenges of the ,united ,states and all other free and open economies in the #bast century2 ,whereas the ,,wto is the preferred forum in which member economies resolve disputes that arise among them2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has consistently supported having a functional1 efficient dispute settlement mechanism at the ,,wto that strictly follows the ,dispute ,settlement ,understanding as agreed by all ,,wto members and remains accountable to ,,wto members2 ,whereas the ,united ,states1 for decades1 has sought to strengthen the ,,wto dispute settlement system by advocating for necessary1 thoughtful1 and prudent reforms2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has expressed longstanding concerns that ,,wto ,appellate ,body1 through its findings and procedural liberties1 is improperly adding to or diminishing the rights or obligations of ,,wto members2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has consistently urged the ,,wto to improve transparency by requiring that all dispute settlement hearings at the ,,wto be open to the public1 and all submissions by the parties be publicly available2 ,whereas1 while several ,,wto members have joined the ,united ,states in agreeing to open hearings to the public and in making public submissions1 most ,,wto ,members continue to insist on closed hearings and confidential submissions2 ,whereas transparent ,,wto dispute settlement enhances ,,wto members' understanding of the dispute settlement system1 particularly for those who do not participate often in the system2 ,whereas open dispute settlement promotes the accountability1 professionalism1 and impartiality of ,,wto adjudicators1 to the benefit of the dispute settlement system as a whole2 ,whereas many ,,wto members have failed to meet basic notification obligations making it difficult and1 in some cases1 impossible to monitor or determine their compliance with ,,wto obligations1 including subsidies disciplines2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has encouraged1 by proposing various incentives and administrative measures1 better compliance with notification obligations2 ,whereas the ,,wto allows members to self-identify as developing countries in order to receive special and differential treatment2 ,whereas some self-declared developing countries that are now advanced continue to demand the same special and differential treatment intended for much smaller1 less developed members1 creating asymmetries that hinder the ,,wto from achieving meaningful outcomes in current and future negotiations2 ,whereas for over a decade1 most ,,wto members have refused to engage in serious efforts to address longstanding ,united ,states calls for reform of dispute settlement and other important aspects of the ,,wto system2 and ,whereas ,,wto members are engaged in negotiations to reform the ,,wto and create new rules1 including with respect to fisheries subsidies and e-commerce3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states should continue to lead reform efforts to ensure that the ,world ,trade ,organization 7,,wto7 functions as agreed by the membership and is updated appropriately for the #bast century2 and 7#b7 the ,united ,states should continue to urge other ,,wto members to work with the ,united ,states to achieve needed reforms so that the ,,wto and its members can address unjustified barriers to trade and promote economic norms that improve the standard of living across the world2 and 7#c7 the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative should continue to lead and work with other countries to pursue reforms at the ,,wto that-- 7,a7 address concerns with the ,,wto's ,appellate ,body2 7,b7 improve the efficiency and transparency of dispute settlement proceedings2 7,c7 remediate the failure to satisfy notification obligations of the various ,,wto agreements and develop accountability mechanisms to address this issue proactively2 7,d7 discipline the use of special and differential treatment for self-declared developing countries2 and 7,e7 create new rules and structures that can serve the ,united ,states interests while promoting peace1 prosperity1 and open markets and societies4