The failure of Ministerial Conferences (MC13) to deliver
meaningful results has reignited the debate about World Trade Organization
(WTO) governance and how to increase the chances of achieving better outcomes
in future. Although there are many reasons for the disappointing results at
MC13, this article addresses the specific issue of a lacking WTO Steering or
Executive Committee. The WTO is the only International Organization coming out
of the Bretton Woods system that lacks such a set up. It is examined whether
the informal Green Room that was abolished in 2014 could be brought back in
some new form, in order to generate stronger informal engagement and
opportunities for peer pressure between a representative sub-set of Members.
While any change to the institutional set-up of an international organization
presents significant challenges, the analysis suggests that it is at least
conceptually possible to combine balanced participation with a cap on numbers
to protect effectiveness.