RCEP争端解决机制中特殊与差别待遇条款:意义、挑战与路径

Special and Differential Treatment Clauses in RCEP Dispute Settlement Mechanism:Significance,Challenges and Path

特殊与差别待遇条款是各种旨在扶持发展中成员(包括最不发达国家)经济和贸易发展的特殊条款,是世界贸易组织(WTO)改革的焦点问题。在现有区域经贸协定中,《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)首次在争端解决机制中规定了特殊与差别待遇条款。特殊与差别待遇条款的实施关系到最不发达国家的切实利益,是RCEP是否有效运行的试金石,利于推动WTO改革和发展中国家参与经济全球化。但是,RCEP的最不发达国家参与争端解决机制面临缺乏参诉的资源和能力、RCEP专家组可能对特殊与差别待遇条款作出不利于最不发达国家解释,以及RCEP缺乏对最不发达国家有利的特殊救济权利等现实挑战。为了促进RCEP争端解决机制中特殊与差别待遇条款的落实,应该结合提升最不发达国家参与争端解决机制能力的基础路径,对特殊与差别待遇条款作出有利于最不发达国家解释的现实路径,以及改革特殊与差别待遇制度的长远路径。

The special and differential treatment(S&DT)clauses are kinds of special clauses,aimed at supporting the economic and trade development of the developing countries(including the least developed countriesLDCs),which is the focus of the ongoing WTO reform.Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP)is the first regional economic and trade agreement to stipulate the S&DT clauses in the dispute settlement mechanism.The enforcement of S&DT clauses is related to the real interests of the LDCs,the touchstone of the effective operation of the RCEP.It’s conducive to promoting WTO reforms and facilitating developing countries’participation in economic globalization.However,the participation of LDCs in the dispute settlement of RCEP is faced with practical challenges,such as lack of resources and capacity to participate in litigation,the possibility of the RCEP panels to interpret the S&DT clauses against the LDCs,and lack of special remedy rights in the RCEP that are favorable to LDCs.In order to ease the enforcement of S&DT clauses,it is necessary to combine the basic path of enhancing the capacity of the LDCs,the realistic path to interpret S&DT clauses in favor of the LDCs,and the longterm path of S&DT system reform.