Legal Definitions - reverse consensus

Definition: Reverse consensus is an agreement between parties involved in a dispute that the issue should not be taken to a World Trade Organization panel for resolution. This agreement is made during a dispute-settlement procedure under TRIPs.

Example: Let's say two countries are in a trade dispute and have reached a point where they need to seek resolution through the World Trade Organization. However, they may decide to come to a reverse consensus and agree not to take the issue to a WTO panel for adjudication. This means that the dispute will not be resolved through the WTO process, and the parties will need to find another way to resolve their differences.

Explanation: Reverse consensus is a way for parties to avoid the automatic dispute resolution process under TRIPs. Instead of going through the formal process of forming a WTO panel and adopting its report, the parties can agree not to move forward with the process. This can be useful when the parties believe that they can resolve the dispute more effectively through other means, such as negotiation or mediation.