World Trade Organization to Address Qatar's Complaint Against the UAE

The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that it will address Qatar's complaint against the United Arab Emirates regarding the blockade of the country. On July 30 of this year, Qatar reported that it had filed a complaint with the WTO against three countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, citing 'violations' of international trade laws and treaties by these countries. These three countries, along with Egypt, severed diplomatic relations with Qatar on June 5 and imposed sanctions on the country by land, air, and sea. In its complaint to the WTO, Qatar requested formal consultations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain. According to WTO regulations, the complaining country must first request consultations with the countries it is complaining against; then the parties to the dispute have 60 days to resolve their differences through negotiation, and if negotiations fail, the complaining country can request the establishment of a dispute resolution panel. Qatar has submitted two requests for negotiations with the UAE to the WTO's dispute resolution body, which has faced opposition from Abu Dhabi. The WTO, headquartered in Geneva, announced on Wednesday, November 22, that 'the WTO dispute resolution body has agreed to establish a panel to adjudicate Qatar's complaint regarding various actions by the UAE to restrict the trade of goods and services and to protect Qatar's intellectual property rights.' AFP reported that Qatar had previously filed a joint complaint against Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, but it is unclear why Doha is now separately complaining against Abu Dhabi at the WTO. The process of addressing the complaint at the WTO may take months and sometimes years, and it is also subject to appeal. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of 'supporting extremist and terrorist groups.' Qatar denies these accusations, stating that the imposed sanctions were 'politically motivated.' Qatar had previously rejected a list of thirteen stringent conditions set by the sanctioning countries for lifting the sanctions, and since then, all mediation efforts between the parties have been fruitless. These conditions include shutting down the Al Jazeera television network, severing political ties with Iran, expelling members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and closing the Turkish military base in Qatar; conditions that Qatar considers contrary to its sovereignty. Saudi Arabia and its allies state that they imposed sanctions on Qatar within the framework of their national sovereignty and to eliminate threats to their countries, asserting that their actions do not constitute a violation of WTO laws.