WTO Public Forum 2021, Organizer Raymond Saner, CSEND-DD, Geneva
BACKGROUND
This session focuses on the sub-theme of PF21, “Strengthening the Multilateral Trading System”. The panelists will assess how plurilateral
agreements and plurilateral initiatives could be fully mulilateralized or conclude that plurilaterals will remain outside the WTO context.
Speakers and the audience will be invited to ponder the following questions:
1. To what extent is it possible to “multilateralize” plurilateralism today (20 years into the Doha Round Negotiations with no agreement in sight
and increasing numbers of FTAs/RTAs)?
2. What are the different “options” to negotiate plurilateral agreements (with or without MFN)?
3. What are the implications of plurilateral agreements for the multilateral trading system (Leading to more integration or fragmentation of the trading system)?
4. Besides Services, Environmental Goods, Investment, could other trade areas be negotiated through plurilateral approaches? If so, which areas?
5. What are the strategies and tactics available to developing and least developed countries in the negotiation of plurilateral agreements?
SPEAKERS:
Hamid Mamdou, ret. Former Head of the Services and Investment Division at WTO, now with King & Spalding, Geneva
Stuart Harbinson, former Trade Representative of Hong Kong to WTPO, then became a senior WTO official, being Chief of Staff to DG Supachai and later Special Adviser to Pascal Lamy
Professor Peter Draper, Interim Head: School of Economics and Public Policy, Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, University of Adelaide, previously with SAIIA, South Africa
Mr. Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS, Jaipur, India
CHAIR
Prof. Raymond Saner, Titular, Basel University and co-founder of CSEND, Geneva
MODERATOR
Lichia Yiu, E.D., president, CSEND, Geneva
BACKGROUND MATERIAL
“Plurilateral Agreements: Key to solving impasse of WTO/Doha Round and basis for future trade agreements within the WTO context”, CSEND Policy Brief, 2012 http://www.csend.org/images/articles/files/CSEND_Policy_Brief_Nr_7_Plurilaterals_April_2012_1.pdf
REGISTRATION:
All sessions at the WTO Public Forum 2021 can be joined virtually. The full Public Forum calendar can be accessed here.
We kindly request you to register for them below.
ORGANISED BY
Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development (CSEND)
www.csend.org; www.diplomacy.org
