Messrs Ujal Singh Bhatia (India) and Thomas R. Graham (United States) were sworn-in on 8 December 2011 as members of the Appellate Body at a ceremony at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
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| Messrs Ujal Singh Bhatia (left) and Thomas R. Graham (right) |
During the ceremony, the Chair of the Dispute Settlement Body, Ambassador Elin Østebø Johansen, and WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy both congratulated Messrs Bhatia and Graham and welcomed them as new Appellate Body members. They also thanked the out-going members, Ms Lilia R. Bautista and Ms Jennifer A. Hillman who will be retiring after four years of dedicated service to the WTO.
The Appellate Body is responsible for hearing appeals of WTO panel reports. It is composed of seven members, each appointed for a four-year term, with a possibility to be reappointed once. The expiration dates of terms are staggered, ensuring that not all members begin and complete their terms at the same time. Members of the Appellate Body must be persons of recognized authority with demonstrated expertise in law, international trade and the subject matter of the covered agreements generally and must not be affiliated with any government. The members of the Appellate Body are appointed by the Dispute Settlement Body. From its establishment in 1995 up to the end of 2011, the Appellate Body will have circulated 107 Appellate Body reports.
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