World Trade Organization and International Legal Order

Commercial relations have always been one of the main factors at the international plane. Such relations have been crystalized either in the form of bilateral agreements or in the form of multilateral cooperation such as World Trade Organization which has offered many effects. On the other side, international plane is increasingly expanding and getting more complicated than ever and new bodies, principles and organizations are emerging. The nature of international society requires that these bodies whether commercial or others have interactions. That means, while each of them goes its own way, they should cooperate with others to develop international society.It is clear that WTO, because of its importance, can create a huge volume of principles, rules and jurisprudence that can play role in international law, and at the same time be affected by international law. This organization is body that is emerged out of international law and its legal order is in complete relationship with international legal order. The organization respects many principles of international law like equality of states, good faith and settlement of disputes in its legal order. The rules established in the framework of the organization are related to treaties and rules established before or after the emergence of the organization. Also, the jurisprudence of dispute settlement panels shows the relationship of this organization and public international law. And finally, many of the principles of international law are applied in the dispute settlement system of this organization. For example, dispute settlement panels and appellate body in interpreting agreements refer to principles of interpretation in international law. In settling the disputes, they do not confine the applicable law merely to agreements of the organization but they also apply principles of international law.