FROM MULTILATERALISM TO UNILATERALISM: THE CRISIS OF THE WTO LEGAL SYSTEM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL TRADE IN CENTRAL ASIA
Keywords:
World Trade Organization, multilateralism, unilateralism, WTO Appellate Body, trade dispute resolution, Central AsiaAbstract
This article examines the transformation of the multilateral trading system under the impact of the proliferation of unilateral trade measures and the weakening of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. It analyzes the balance between multilateralism and unilateralism in international trade regulation and their significance for Central Asian states. Utilizing formal-legal, comparative-legal, systemic, and doctrinal methods, the paper reviews the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding alongside the application practice of Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. It is substantiated that unilateral measures do not always signify a complete abandonment of multilateralism: their assessment depends on their legal basis, breach-establishment procedure, independent review, proportionality, and duration. A three-tiered model is proposed, distinguishing between regulatory autonomy, systemically bounded unilateralism, and extra-systemic coercive unilateralism. For Central Asia, multilateralism is viewed as a mechanism for legal leveling and trade risk mitigation. Proposals regarding Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO are formulated.
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