GENEVA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo urged members during a meeting here on Monday to step up their engagement towards tackling a number of systemic challenges, including rising trade tensions among major members.

File photo: Xinhua

"Concerns about rising trade tensions and the blockage in appointments to the Appellate Body are very widely shared among the membership," said Azevedo in a meeting of Trade Negotiations Committee. 

He warned that as long as tensions persist between major trading partners, the risk of a serious escalation remains very real, urging members to avoid "taking measures that are difficult to reverse".

He applauded that these concerns are being taken up in the regular bodies of the WTO, and members continue to bring their disputes to the WTO. 

"The system was built to resolve these problems in a way that prevents further escalation, and so it is right that members are using it," he reiterated.  

The WTO chief also encouraged members to continue pursuing their bilateral contacts, to complement multilateral processes, underlining that "the important thing is that conversations are taking place, and that members are trying to find solutions." 

He also emphasized the importance that members work to resolve the impasse regarding nominations for the Appellate Body. 

In recent months, the United States has been trying to block new appointments to the Body, a move that could dampen its key role -- resolving disputes. 

"If we do not find a solution here -- whatever shape that solution may take -- we could severely compromise the whole multilateral trading system," said Azevedo, urging members to engage and talk to each other "in a solution-finding mode".