The examination of the relationship of WTO and other international organizations (IOs) has been mostly seen through prism of fragmentation of international law and institutions. This is fully understandable given that different IOs have received uneven treatment at the WTO, including in dispute settlement. This is a sign of an inconsistent and fragmented landscape of international legal order with different IOs playing differently defined roles, even within the narrow field of WTO dispute settlement. While many remedies have been offered to cure the problem, this article examines institutional fragmentation by using the example of interaction between the WTO and WCO. While the cooperation between the WTO and WCO has been quite prolific, the central question addressed in this article is to what extent this cooperation model can serve as reference for the WTO judiciary in shaping its interactions with other IOs and what would be the factors for such assessment.
Journal of World Trade