141. The representative of Japan appreciated the contributions of Canada and the Secretariat and said that the fundamental differences in opinion among Members on this issue needed to be overcome. His Government was concerned that lack of consensus on this issue could result in unforeseeable and unpredictable disputes among Members. In his delegation's view, the principal aim of the inclusion or introduction of this sort of provision was not to sanction WTO Members who nullified or impaired the interests of other Members, but to give predictability in order to prevent Members from nullifying or impairing the interests of other Members. Unfortunately, he said, the current status of the discussions on this issue was extremely unclear and there was no consensus as to what conduct was covered by non-violation liability. In this context, his Government believed further and extensive discussions were essential amongst all WTO Members.
