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Against the backdrop of the global economic and financial crisis,
and looking to the future, this year's edition will be a chance for
the public to take stock of the latest developments at the global
level that are having an impact on the multilateral trading system
and identify steps that will contribute towards bolstering
international trade flows and strengthening the WTO.
Discussions will be guided by the following four leading sub-themes:
The questions that will be dealt with in the Forum’s plenary session
as well as the various sessions categorized per sub-theme are
described below:
PLENARY SESSION:
The forces shaping world trade: How to
use them to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals and
contribute to Millennium Development Goal 8: A Global Partnership
for Development
Organized by: Development Division — WTO
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 10:30 — 12:30
World trade has undergone major changes since the establishment of
the WTO 15 years ago. The world’s traditional powers are now sharing
the spotlight with new economic actors — the fast-growing emerging
economies. Meanwhile, the introduction of new technologies and
better access to telecommunications, even for the world's poorest
users, has changed the way global business is conducted and the way
people the world over interact. New concerns have arisen over food
security, climate change and energy supplies and prices, changing
both how the public views trade and the nature of the multilateral
rules which governments believe should apply to this changing
paradigm. The effects of the recent financial crisis and its
unprecedented impact on world trade have further underlined the need
to address these new challenges. It is also crucial to find ways to
make the forces shaping world trade work to alleviate poverty and
hunger and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and
especially MDG 8 — a Global Partnership for Development.
Themes and issues to be addressed in the session include: 1) the
economic, political and technological factors shaping world trade
and the role of business, governments and workers to ensure future
global sustainable development; 2) how the forces of trade can be
used to help achieve the MDGs and lead to enhanced coherence amongst
global institutions, state actors and the private sector; and 3)
what governments can do in the future to shape world trade rules to
address food security, climate change and adequate energy supplies
and to ensure global economic growth and stability.
SUB-THEME I: THE WTO AND THE PLAYERS THAT INFLUENCE THE
MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM back to top
Session 3: Role of non-state actors in
the WTO
Organized by: CUTS International, India
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 14:00 — 16:00
Non-state actors (NSAs) have a stake in the
healthy functioning of the multilateral trading system, yet they are
expected to present their concerns to the WTO through their respective
governments. In recent years the WTO has made efforts to better reach
out to NSAs while preserving its fundamental nature as an
intergovernmental organization: the WTO Public Forum is open to all
participants; most WTO documents become public upon submission; and
regular WTO briefings are held for non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and parliamentarians. Hearings in some dispute-settlement
proceedings have also been opened to the public upon agreement among
the parties. Despite these developments, however, several issues
regarding the effectiveness of NSA participation remain debatable.
To take this debate forward, there is a need to understand different
ways in which different groups of NSAs try to influence the ongoing
discussions at the WTO, and to discuss various opinions and
suggestions in order to optimize the role of NSAs in the WTO.
Some questions that the panellists and discussants will endeavour to
answer during this session include:
-
Does the business community think that the
WTO serves its interests?
-
How successful are civil society
organizations (CSOs) in influencing the WTO discussions and
negotiations?
-
How crucial is the role of parliamentarians
in the WTO process?
-
How do governments reconcile the interests
of various NSAs with varying degrees of influence?
Session 11: Governments, non-state actors
& trade policy-making: negotiating preferentially or multilaterally?
Organized by: Economic Research and Statistics Division — WTO and
University of Melbourne
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 09:00 — 11:00
A pressing issue facing international trade relations is how to ensure
compatibility between multilateral and preferential approaches to
trade cooperation. This challenge has become greater with the recent
rapid proliferation of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs). A good
deal has been written about why governments might choose to negotiate
preferentially or multilaterally, but this literature has been written
almost exclusively from the perspective of governments. We know very
little about how non-state actors (e.g. businesses, producer groups,
trade unions, civil society organizations, think tanks, etc.) view
this issue of “forum choice”, or how they position themselves to
influence governments’ choices when considering whether to give
preference to PTAs or to the WTO.
This panel presents the findings of an international, multi-country
research project that has investigated this issue through case studies
of trade policy-making and forum choice in eight developing countries:
Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and
Thailand. The case studies are based on original research, including
interviews with state and non-state actors involved in the trade
policy-making process in the eight countries of this study.
Session 19: Rethinking accountability in and of the WTO
Organized by: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 16:30 — 18:30
Transparency and accountability are frequently joined together in WTO
discourse, making the concepts hard to untangle. At one level,
transparency is simply seen as a means to ensure accountability. When
linked to notions of democratic participation, accountability comes to
be seen as a principal-agent problem. Are delegates in Geneva
accountable to their principals at home? Are participants in small
group meetings accountable to the members they purport to represent?
Accountability and transparency are part of a western conception of
administrative law. Translating these principles to the global level
is not necessarily feasible or desirable in all countries. Is there a
need for greater transparency and accountability at the international
level? How can the WTO address issues that are likely to confront the
world economy in the future, such as social standards or climate
change, without spreading itself too thin or undermining support for
open trade?
The preamble to the WTO Agreement simply says that the organization
aims to promote economic prosperity and sustainable development
consistent with the needs of developing countries through the
reciprocal reduction of barriers to trade and the elimination of
discriminatory treatment.
Should this be about accountability for the WTO’s broad contribution
to sustainability, or about its accountability for what it has done in
terms of specific commitments, such as avoiding protectionist
responses to the financial crisis? Is it legitimate to expect
international organizations to be accountable beyond the implicit and
explicit obligations that members have undertaken and the tasks those
members have assigned to international organizations?
Session 27: The role of the G20 in WTO governance
Organized by: World Trade Institute (WTI), American Society of
International Law (ASIL) and International Economic Law Interest Group
(IEcLIG)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 11:15 — 13:15
As the global geography of power has shifted from the G8 to the G20,
small and vulnerable economies in Africa and Asia have been
marginalized in terms of decision-making. Yet, the G20’s efficient
handling of post-crisis domestic stimulus packages, as well as its
coordination in the setting of various economic standards, all but
pre-empted a greater role for WTO decision-making.
Although most agree that the G20 fills an institutional gap in global
economic regulation, opinions diverge as to the ideal scope and depth
of its authority. Some regulators have identified the G20 as a formal
venue for trans-national regulatory cooperation. Others conceptualize
the G20 as a global decision-making platform tasked to set the agenda
for a range of economic issues, including but not limited to trade and
development.
The extent to which the G20 should assume a formal role in WTO
negotiations will depend on whether medium — to high — income countries
require a negotiating forum, the risk of the G20 disrupting WTO
decision-making, and whether infusing trade talks with expert input on sectoral regulation are perceived as requiring collective action.
This session identifies the conditions under which the G20 could best
complement the WTO’s decision-making process. The discussions of the
G20’s emergence as an executive coordinator of global economic
regulation will be structured along three lines: first, framing the
institutional-operational aspects of how the G20 plans to partner with
the WTO; second, exploring the developing countries’ perspective,
including how the G20 contributes to WTO legitimacy; and third,
assessing whether the G20 improves trans-national regulatory policy
coherence on trade and investment.
Session 30: The future of trade and the environment: Creating the
WTO’s solution for trade, development and sustainable oceans
Organized by: OCEANA
Date: Friday, 17 September, 11:15 — 13:15
This session will explore themes related to the implications of global
environmental issues for the multilateral trading system and the role
and responsibility of the WTO in contributing to international
solutions for these challenges. Using global fisheries depletion and
the WTO fisheries subsidy negotiations as a tangible example, the
session will consider how global environmental challenges and issues
of natural resource sustainability are shaping world trade, and how
the WTO can contribute to solving global environmental problems
through new approaches and trade tools.
This session will provide a platform for discussion of the following
questions:
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Are new considerations and approaches needed
to effectively achieve the parallel negotiating objectives of trade,
environmental sustainability, and development? What are the challenges
and implications created by introducing a common-resource issue into
the WTO negotiations?
- How are WTO members addressing the concept
of resource sustainability in the context of a trade negotiation? What
are the implications of the fisheries subsidy negotiations for
addressing other environmental issues through trade agreements?
- How can the varying interests and
significant differences in levels of development among WTO members,
particularly among developing countries, with regard to the fishing
sector be reconciled effectively?
- What is the involvement and what are the
contributions of outside organizations in the fisheries subsidy
negotiations? What is the relevance of this “new participation” to
future WTO negotiations?
Session 32: Greater China and the future
of the multilateral trading system
Organized by: The Evian Group@IMD
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 090:00 — 11:00
The rules-based multilateral trading system (MTS) emerged from the
Atlantic Charter signed by Churchill and Roosevelt in August 1941. It
greatly contributed to peace and prosperity in the Atlantic nations,
and eventually to the emergence of the Pacific trading nations. Until
recently, however, the MTS (first GATT, and then the WTO) remained a
fairly exclusive Western/Atlantic club, albeit with the inclusion of
Japan.
In the 21st century, the greatest transformation in world trade for
the past two hundred years or more is now taking place. China, a
global recluse for an extended period, has “re-emerged” as a
formidable trading power. Greater China — including the People’s
Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese overseas
enterprises — are redesigning global trade patterns, refashioning the
global supply chain, and redefining the basis of global
competitiveness.
As these dynamics occur, many questions arise regarding the future of
the MTS, including in terms of its governance.
One premise is that, while the emerging Pacific is keen to preserve
the MTS, the stalling of the Doha Round, among other things, is
resulting in a proliferating “noodle-bowl” of free trade agreements (FTAs)
which could jeopardize the future of the MTS. There is much at stake.
This session, with a panel including experts from Peking University
and University of Hong Kong and business practitioners, will discuss
what is arguably the most critical issue with respect to the future of
global trade and the rules-based MTS.
Session 40: The new geography of trade: South-south agreements,
south-south asymmetries and the WTO
Organized by: Latin American Trade Network (LATN) and University of
São Paulo (USP, Brazil)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 16:30 — 18:30
Current tensions within the WTO have a number of external and internal
causes, such as the global economic and financial crises, changes in
the global power balance, and the revival of north-south conflict,
which mainly emerged after the Cancún Ministerial. On the one hand,
leading developing countries have been increasingly expanding their
roles as process drivers in the multilateral trading system. On the
other, the differentiation within the group of developing countries is
increasing.
In this context, it is important to discuss the ongoing south-south
trade arrangements among leading developing countries. To what extent
could these eventually contribute to a more balanced and equitable
process of global economic development? While such arrangements may
constitute a powerful tool to level the playing field in the
multilateral sphere, do they help to reduce the asymmetries among
southern countries?
This session aims to analyse recent south-south trade arrangements
with the purpose of:
-
observing some trends on key development
issues, such as asymmetries, and potentially important development
instruments, such as the trade in services and investments. MERCOSUR
agreements with other developing countries, as well as least-developed
countries’ arrangements, will also be discussed; and
- pointing out some challenges regarding the
relationship between these arrangements and the multilateral trading
system.
SUB-THEME II: THE
ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS SHAPINGWORLD TRADE AND
THE ROLE OF THE RULES-BASED MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM IN
CONTRIBUTING TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY back to top
Lunchtime Session 2: Agricultural trade
and investment rules for the 21st century
Organized by: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and Quaker UN
Office Geneva
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 12:30 — 14:00
The world of agriculture policy has changed fundamentally since the
Doha negotiations started. Thinking about the challenges as they
relate to climate change, natural resource constraints and the urgent
need to curb and eradicate poverty has broken wide open since the
2007-2008 food-price crisis, leaving policy-makers, non-governmental
organizations and others still trying to catch up.
This session will address some of these new and important debates. In
particular, it will consider the role of trade and investment in
agriculture, as well as the protection of local and indigenous
knowledge, and where and how the world will grow and distribute enough
food. Speakers will address what a trade agenda to confront these
challenges would look like, whether the WTO-based multilateral trade
system is adequate for the new context of agriculture policy, and what
contribution the multilateral system might make.
Lunchtime Session 3: The role of the multilateral trading system in
contributing to the global economic recovery and the future of global
trade: A world business perspective
Organized by: International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 12:30 — 14:00
The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the rules-based multilateral
trading system have a key role in contributing to the recovery from
the global economic recession, and in shaping the future of global
trade.
This session will address the following issues:
Session 4: Global production chains - Transformation of international
trade in the 21st century: the need for predictable and impartial
rules of origin
Organized by: Agency for International Trade Information and
Cooperation
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 14:00 — 16:00
In almost all sectors of the global economy — be they textiles,
automobiles, electronics, information technology, chemicals, leather
products, health or food items — global production chains have come to
dominate international manufacturing, using materials and components
produced in various stages and in different countries. These chains
have helped both least-developed countries (LDCs) and developing
countries (DCs) to secure substantial gains in international trade.
However, there are no harmonized rules of origin for non-preferential
products. Existing rules based on where “the last substantial
transformation” takes place are inadequate, and there has been no real
progress in the harmonization work programme on non-preferential rules
of origin.
The main objective of this session is to discuss how the WTO and its
major players can strengthen production chains in the multilateral
trading system by addressing this complex area of global trade. Not
only would harmonized rules of origin help all WTO members, but such
harmonization would cement the rules-based trading system by providing
a predictable playing field for LDCs and DCs.
Panellists will include representatives from a preference-granting
country, an LDC, a non-LDC developing country, and an international
financial institution, and will consider the way forward by addressing
questions such as: What is the time-frame required to complete the
work on rules of origin? What needs to be done in the immediate short
term to help LDCs and DCs? How can these countries come to grips with
the challenges posed by complex rules of origin in order to establish
a more predictable playing field?
Session 8: Doing it differently: Reshaping the global economy
Organized by: WTO Gender Network
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 10:00 — 12:00
While the fields of health and education have long acknowledged that
addressing gender issues is an efficient way to address poverty, the
potential impacts of addressing gender-specific constraints in the
area of trade are less well understood. Against the backdrop of the
global economic and financial crisis, and looking to the future, this
panel will discuss the role of women and girls in enhancing economic
productivity and sustained economic growth. The panel will invite
participants to take stock of the latest developments at the global
level to empower women and to identify steps that will contribute
towards strengthening investment in women and girls, with an emphasis
on supporting their integration into markets. In addition, the panel
will look at the different actors that influence the trade and gender
agenda, assess the factors shaping efforts to increase action and
investment in this area, and brainstorm on the way forward.
Discussions will be guided by the following main questions:
Session 10: Africa’s benefits and challenges to regional and
international trade
Organized by: Commonwealth Secretariat
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 09:00 — 11:00
Even before the recent global economic crisis, the performance of
African countries in international trade has been dismal, with their
share of world exports standing at only about 3 per cent. Though trade
and investment flows have been increasing between Africa and other
emerging economies, the expansion of African trade still faces
challenges arising from inadequate trade-support infrastructures and
institutions, as well as from trade barriers to intra-regional trade.
The extent to which Africa is benefiting from the multilateral system
and the ways in which it might secure greater benefits need to be
understood more fully. A critical review of the factors shaping
Africa’s trade prospects would be helpful, with a view to identifying
measures that would help Africa face its challenges and enhance its
benefits from international trade.
This session will focus on the support necessary to help Africa
overcome its trade development challenges and enhance the beneficial
outcomes of its engagement with emerging economies. The following
specific issues will be addressed: the current state of Africa’s trade
with other developing countries; the potential for Africa’s relations
with emerging economies to contribute to its trade-led development;
identification of the key impediments to sustainable growth in
Africa’s investment inflows; the impact on African trade of expanded
trade relations with emerging economies; how the multilateral trading
system can help Africa benefit from its increased engagement with
emerging economies; and the instruments that can be devised for
improving Africa’s access to foreign markets.
Session 25: Much ado about what? Do preferential agreements create
trade?
Organized by: World Trade Institute (WTI), University of Bern
Date: Friday, 17 September, 09:00 — 11:00
Much recent writing on preferential trade agreements (PTAs) has
focused on the qualitative dimensions of competing rule-making
architectures. This session aims to share and critically discuss
recent and ongoing empirical research on the net trade effects of
preferential liberalization, comparing the effects observed in goods
trade with those observed in services, and examining the forces that
distinguish both the magnitude and the nature of observed causalities.
The session will also ascertain whether the greater depth of
liberalization achieved in some PTAs, by lessening transaction costs
and facilitating supply-chain linkages within regional production
networks, may have contributed to a speedier recovery in world trade
activity following the recent economic crisis.
Key questions the panel will address include the following:
Session 35: Biofuel subsidies and standards: WTO considerations
Organized by: International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 14:15 — 16:15
The objective of this session is to examine which WTO rules are
relevant for support to the biofuel sector (mainly via mandates and
subsidies) and for sustainability standards (in particular those
incorporating lifecycle analyses) for biofuels, and to stimulate
debate and further thinking. The session will be used as the European
launch of IPC’s paper “Biofuel and Biomass Subsidies: Towards a
Transparent System of Notification”.
The following questions will be addressed during this session:
-
On the question of subsidies, questions to be asked will include:
How are subsidies to the three key biofuel producers (Brazil, the
United States and the European Union) being notified to the WTO? Can
biofuel subsidies be considered agricultural subsidies, therefore
falling under the Agreement on Agriculture’s domestic support pillar?
How does the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development) Producer Support Estimate approach biofuel support? How
can open questions on notification be clarified in order to allow
greater transparency on levels of subsidies?
- On the issue of sustainability standards, questions to be pursued
will include: What trade issues are raised by the incorporation of
lifecycle analyses in sustainability standards? Do these issues differ
as a result of their effect on decisions of whether to import certain
types of biofuels, whether to count certain biofuels towards
fulfilling a government mandate, or whether to grant subsidies to
blenders using these biofuels?
Session 37: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa:
Should service linkages be expanded?
Organized by: Trade in Services Division — WTO
Date: Friday, 17 September, 16:30 — 18:30
The role of infrastructural services (electricity distribution,
drinkable water distribution, road transport, telecommunications,
financial services, etc.) in achieving the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) is as obvious as it is important. At a time of heightened
concern over Africa’s ability to achieve the MDGs, as well as
increased pressure on donor finances, this session will explore
options to further increase Africa’s access to infrastructural
services.
Achievement of the MDGs is not only directly dependent on services
such as education and health, but also relies heavily on improvements
in infrastructural services. For example, better road transport is
crucial in ensuring that rural farmers get their products to market,
while access to electricity, telecommunications and financial services
plays a vital role in ensuring the success of micro-enterprises.
Although African governments are making great efforts to improve the
availability and quality of infrastructural services, resources are
limited. Even lending from multilateral development institutions and
donor assistance is unable to close the current “infrastructure gap”.
Nearly all African states have policies to attract foreign direct
investment (FDI), but far more FDI is currently devoted to natural
resource extraction than to the infrastructural services needed to
achieve the MDGs.
The objective of this session is to examine how access to MDG-related
infrastructural services can be accelerated, including possible
expanded roles for the WTO.
Session 39: The role of trade in fostering a recovery that is
supportive of employment
Organized by: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 16:30 — 18:30
International trade is an essential source of growth, development and,
ultimately, well-being. Open economies achieve higher levels of
economic growth, contribute to net job creation, help to raise real
wages, and ensure lower prices and a wider choice of products and
services. An increase in the share of trade in gross domestic product
(GDP) of one percentage point raises income levels by between 1 per
cent and 3 per cent.
Keeping markets open and world trade flowing during the recovery phase
is crucial. While world leaders have shown resolve in meeting these
objectives, fears of protectionism, due to unprecedented levels of
unemployment, persist. A genuine trade deal that provides for new
market opportunities on the basis of comparative advantage, and that
would support growth and the creation of decent employment in both
industrialized and developing countries, is urgently needed.
How can public understanding of the role of trade in job creation and
as a driver of development be improved, so that political leaders do
not view protectionism as an answer to concerns about unemployment?
How can civil society and private-sector actors work together with
governments and international organizations to ensure that open
markets for trade and investment create the conditions most likely to
lead to a job-rich recovery? How can governments soften the burden on
workers who have been displaced due to trade-induced structural change
and facilitate their integration into competitive industries?
SUB-THEME III: COHERENCE BETWEEN THE WTO AND OTHER AREAS OF GLOBAL
ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE back to top
Session 1: Sustainable energy use and trade
Organized by: Trade and Environment Division — WTO and World Energy
Council
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 14:00 — 16:00
Recent increases in energy demand, growing energy insecurity and
government commitments to tackle climate change have all intensified
the need to find ways to use energy in a sustainable manner. The
latest developments in energy use and demand will have an impact on
trade. The purpose of this session is to explore the linkages between
trade and sustainable use of energy.
The session will begin with presentations on the latest trends in
energy demand and on the current work being undertaken by
international institutions — for instance, the International Energy
Agency (IEA) work on energy efficiency; and the joint IEA,
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and World
Bank report on energy subsidies, which was submitted to the Toronto
G20 Summit meeting in June 2010; and the work of the World Energy
Council. In the second part, there will be a panel debate focusing on
issues related to trade and the role of trade in improving the
sustainable use of energy.
Session 5: From trade-related aspects of intellectual property (IP),
to IP-related aspects of trade? Locating the Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights Agreement in today’s global trade system
Organized by: Intellectual Property Division — WTO
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 16:15 — 18:15
This session will review the interplay between the intellectual
property (IP) system and the global trade regime. It will explore how
to use the tools of economic analysis to understand the IP dimension
of international trade and development. Focusing on real-world
experiences in current areas of policy debate, it will seek to lay the
groundwork for a more systematic account of the third pillar of the
trade rules package that constitutes the legal and policy framework of
the WTO.
First, the session will set out the current theoretical framework for
situating the IP system within the international trading environment.
It will consider the impact of emerging knowledge-economy players —
such as the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) — as
skilled and strategic users of the IP system when negotiating the
terms of trade in the knowledge economy and leveraging knowledge as a
tool for development.
Second, the session will explore the systemic impact of changes in
business patterns relying on the IP system, in particular for new
players in international trade. In order to strengthen the empirical
and theoretical basis of policy discussions, the session will consider
the example of the impact of geographical indications on global trade
flows.
Third, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights (TRIPS) has sparked a series of debates about the coherence of
trade rules with other areas of global governance. Indeed, coherence
of the IP rules of TRIPS and the Convention on Biological Diversity is
at the cutting edge of this debate, and this session will review this
subject in its full international policy context, with a focus on the
particular insights that economic analysis tools can provide for
policy-makers.
Session 6: How do the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
rules relate to countries’ post-crisis financial regulatory policies?
Organized by: Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS)
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 16:15 — 18:15
In the wake of the deepest financial crisis since the Great
Depression, there is a widespread consensus that better financial
services regulation is needed. Yet there are substantial discussions
about how certain regulatory proposals — either in the G20 context or
nationally — interact with WTO members’ financial services commitments
under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and whether
pre-crisis Doha Round proposals and agendas touching on financial
services require alteration.
This session is intended to review the questions and views emerging
among governmental and non-governmental actors and among trade and
finance experts about the interaction between various domestic and
international financial regulatory regimes and WTO rules related to
financial services. The session will consider how current and proposed
WTO rules would affect the ability of the WTO to work in concert with
other international actors struggling to ensure global financial
stability.
Panellists will explore the some of the following questions:
-
What is the connection between WTO rules relating to financial
services and the current international and national regulatory reform
proposals, such as financial transaction taxes, capital controls,
limitations on high-risk products and speculative practices, and “too
big to fail” prevention policies?
- Are there changes to existing WTO rules or to the Doha Round Agenda
that would increase financial stability and foster necessary financial
regulatory improvements?
- Does the prudential defence provision provided in the GATS Financial
Service Annex 2(a) provide a reliable safeguard to preserve WTO member
states’ policy space for effective regulation of financial services?
- How might further WTO financial services commitments, including
those described in the pre-crisis plurilateral request on financial
services, affect developing countries?
Session 7: Beyond border carbon adjustment measures: standards,
labelling and the issue of emission allowances
Organized by: International Centre for Trade and Sustainable
Development (ICTSD)
and Swedish National Board of Trade
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 16:15 — 18:15
In the absence of an international climate change agreement with
binding reduction commitments for carbon emissions, countries are
increasingly taking unilateral action to address the threat of climate
change. One measure that has received a substantial amount of
attention in the political debate is border carbon adjustment
measures. However, other measures and tools are more likely to be
implemented on a broader scale in the more immediate future, some of
which are already fully functioning.
This session will look into two of these measures. First, public or
private standards and climate labels: what are the existing and
upcoming standards in the field of climate change, and what
opportunities and challenges are associated with their proliferation?
Second, the issue of emission allowances: distributing emission
allowances without charge to heavily polluting industries is currently
the primary tool for handling competitiveness concerns related to
climate change. Although less controversial than border measures,
there is a risk that these measures may also have trade implications.
Both of these measures will be discussed, with a particular emphasis
on their possible impact on sustainable development.
The session will be inclusive and allow for discussion among all
participants. The aim is for the session to be generative for all
parties, i.e. to help panellists, organizers and other participants
develop their thinking on these issues, thereby helping to advance
research and better inform policy-making.
Session 12: Policy coherence between trade, global food security and
poverty reduction goals
Organized by: International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 11:15 — 13:15
For farmers, coherence among the policy decisions taken in the United
Nations System, the Bretton Woods System — including the WTO — and the
G8/G20 summits is critical to the world’s ability to achieve global
food security and sustainable development. Trade rules are important
in achieving global economic development, including increased food
security and reduced poverty. However, food security cannot be
achieved if trade rules dominate the legal decisions and treaties made
within the United Nations and other global forums. The current balance
leaves developing countries in a fragile situation. Laws aimed at
promoting food security, managing food supplies and encouraging local
food production can sometimes be conceived as contrary to trade rules
and may then be challenged under the WTO’s dispute settlement
mechanism. Yet, according to Article 103 of the UN Charter, “In the
event of a conflict between the obligations of the Members of the
United Nations under the present Charter and their obligations under
any other international agreement, their obligations under the present
Charter shall prevail.”
This session seeks to help the WTO promote coherence at the
international level to achieve global food security and reduce
poverty. It will address the following questions:
Session 13: Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and the WTO
Organized by: Environment and Trade in a World of Interdependence
(Entwined)
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 11:15 — 13:15
This session will examine the position of multilateral environmental
agreements (MEAs) in the WTO legal order and seek to advance current
thinking on the issue. A natural starting point is to consider the WTO
law on MEAs. There is no explicit legislation concerning the
relationship between MEAs and the WTO, but there is some (albeit
meagre) case law to be taken into account. A second relevant angle
from which to approach the issue is to examine WTO law dealing with
other inter se agreements (agreements between a subset of WTO
members). For instance, the various WTO agreements set out conditions
for preferential trading agreements, mutual recognition agreements,
and plurilateral agreements. A fourth form of agreement —
sector-specific agreements — has emerged in practice. An examination
of the conditions under which such inter se agreements are accepted in
WTO law could shed light on the appropriate legal treatment of MEAs in
the WTO. The session will also take a broader view, and consider the
fundamental question of why separate MEAs are concluded, that is, why
does the WTO contract not include concerns which come under the aegis
of MEAs? The panel will highlight the appropriate role of MEAs in the
WTO as seen from each of these perspectives.
Session 15: Small farmers and global food-security governance: waiting
for coherence
Organized by: Oxfam International
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 14:15 — 16:15
Governments are legally bound to ensure the right to food for all.
Nevertheless, today there are one billion hungry people in the world,
and millions more are food-insecure. There is a need to develop a
global food-security governance system that bridges the divide between
the conflicting visions and interests of various stakeholders.
The world food system — consisting of the actors dealing with food
production, transformation and trade, as well as the national and
international rules and policies that set the framework for their
actions — is not functioning in a way that provides food for all.
At local, national and global levels, the right polices and
institutions are not yet in place. In any poor countries, mechanisms
for regulating food markets and promoting agriculture investment were
scrapped under the “structural adjustment programmes”, meaning less
support for small farmers and more instability in agricultural
markets. At the global level, rules are still rigged against the poor
and vulnerable.
Oxfam’s session intends to answer the following questions:
Session 18: Regionalism’s role in integrating the Pacific into the
global trading system
Organized by: Institute for International Trade, University of
Adelaide
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 14:15 — 16:15
Following decisions taken by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in August
2009, negotiations are under way towards achieving a comprehensive,
reciprocal regional agreement covering the Pacific islands region —
commonly known as PACER Plus (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic
Relations) — to deepen trade and economic cooperation between the
Pacific island countries (PICs) and Australia and New Zealand. PACER
Plus builds on previous trade agreements within the Pacific region
(South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SPARTECA),
Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), etc). These, and
several other recently concluded bilateral and plurilateral trade
agreements in the wider region (such as the ASEAN—Australia-New
Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) between the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia and New Zealand) may
also have significant implications for the possible shape and content
of a future PACER Plus agreement.
This session will discuss the aims of PACER Plus to assist the
long-term economic development of the PICs through closer integration
with two neighbouring developed countries, as well as the implications
of their integration into the global economy, and reinforcing existing
WTO disciplines with potential added value. The session will include
expert speakers from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD),
the University of Adelaide’s Institute for International Trade (IIT),
and the Australian Ambassador in Geneva, Mr Tim Yeend.
Session 20: WTO rules and public health in developing countries: the
“Achilles’ heel” or A pillar for development?
Organized by: Institute of Economic Affairs
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 16:30 — 18:30
Most developing countries (DCs) have set public health development
goals which are in line with the Millennium Development Goals. The
achievement of these goals, however, has remained elusive for DCs and
least-developed countries in Africa. Achievement of any development
goals requires proper policy coordination: in other words, the laws
must be cohesive and the implementing institutions must develop
synergies for optimal results. Most African countries that face
challenges in achieving their public health development goals are also
members of the WTO. In the context of the current Doha Negotiations,
development forms the core of the WTO’s agenda. This session will
examine the WTO trading rules and how these impact on public health
development goals in African countries.
The main objectives of this session are:
Questions to be answered during this session are:
Session 22: Social standards and human rights clauses in trade
agreements — window-dressing, hidden protectionism or furthering the
cause?
Organized by: FES Geneva and 3D — Trade — Human Rights — Equitable
Economy
Date: Friday, 17 September, 09:00 — 11:00
Trade agreements have the potential to support or violate human rights
and to contribute to or harm sustainable development. For trade to
become a means to an end in sustainable human development, it must be
supportive of, not contradictory to, claims concerning the social
dimension of globalization and respect for human rights.
This session will portray current trends regarding the use of social
standards and human rights clauses in trade agreements and will argue,
from a human rights perspective, that coherence in international law
is not only desirable but an actual obligation of states. The
panellists will also debate whether the trend to include social and
human rights aspects in bilateral agreements is outrunning or
anticipating global agreements. The panel will strengthen members’
considerations of mainstreaming social and human rights standards and
conducting human rights impact assessments in the framework of the
WTO, ultimately giving meaning to the WTO preamble of “raising
standards of living, ensuring full employment” and the “objective of
sustainable development” as the purposes of the organization.
Questions to be discussed include:
-
What are the trends in trade agreements regarding the inclusion of
social and human rights standards (SHS)?
- From where does the inclusion of SHS in trade agreements draw its
legitimacy?
- What impact does this have on global negotiations?
-
What are the merits of including SHS? What are the dangers of
including SHS? How to avoid “hidden agendas”?
- Why is it necessary to include SHS in a global trade agreement?
- How should model agreements be formulated?
Session 23: Key issues in trade, development and climate change
Organized by: Third World Network
Date: Friday, 17 September, 09:00 — 11:00
There are a number of developments occurring outside the World Trade
Organization (WTO) that are shaping world trade. This session will
provide an opportunity to update those involved with the WTO on the
way these developments can impact on the WTO and its work and, in
particular, on whether the disciplines being negotiated in regional
and bilateral trade agreements, climate change and intellectual
property enforcement are compatible with WTO obligations and
safeguards.
Speakers will investigate:
Finally, the implications for developing countries of the
above-mentioned issues and the current proposals in the Doha Work
Programme will also be addressed.
Session 24: What kind of trade policy framework is needed to support
food-security goals?
Organized by: Agriculture and Commodities Division — WTO and Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 09:00 — 11:00
Food insecurity and malnutrition have remained persistent challenges
in many developing countries, and have been exacerbated by the recent
global economic downturn and large swings in international food
prices.
This session seeks to explore the extent to which trade policy-makers
and negotiators may be able to use concrete options to mitigate the
impacts of short-term disruptions and enhance food security in the
long term. The session will explore how trade-policy reform and
official development aid can encourage public and private investment
in developing-country agriculture in order to enhance productivity and
ensure that freer trade actually benefits the poor.
The session will also provide an opportunity to examine and discuss
the extent to which there is scope to address food-security concerns
under the ongoing Doha Round of trade negotiations, and in domestic
policy-making. Finally, participants will discuss the potential
synergies and conflicts among trade, aid and investment policies.
Session 29: Trade, the environment, and 9 billion hungry people:
Coordinating the efforts of the WTO and other international
organizations to ensure food security and to mitigate the impact of
climate change
Organized by: CropLife International
Date: Friday, 17 September, 11:15 — 13:15
This session will examine the challenge of ensuring coordination
between the rules and negotiations of the WTO and those of other
international organizations, and these rules' potential impact on
efforts to ensure food security and to mitigate the impact of climate
change. The panel of experts will describe some of the outcomes of
past agreements which have impacted trade flows in ways unintended at
the time of drafting.
WTO rules are directly relevant to the negotiation of international
agreements relating to issues such as biological diversity, climate
change, and food security. There is often a significant overlap
between agreements pertaining to these issues and WTO rules. Such
overlap is evident, for instance, in the various negotiations on
issues covered by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The expertise of the WTO is an
invaluable resource for officials negotiating trade-related rules in
other international fora, e.g. in the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) or the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC).
However, unlike the corresponding WTO rules, recent proposals in other
international fora have often not fully considered the impact on trade
flow, food security and the incentive to develop new technologies. In
fact, many of the proposals have or could potentially have serious
repercussions for trade and established WTO rules. Without proactive
involvement from trade experts and other stakeholders in these fora,
conflicting directives could weaken the free-trade system the WTO
regime has fostered. The success of international agreements relies on
creating rules that are based on a full understanding of the possible
outcomes, and constructive efforts by the WTO and other stakeholders
are called for to prevent or mitigate negative impacts on important
trade issues, including sustainable development, food security, and
climate change.
Session 33: Coherence and incoherence OF the international trade
regime: Who profits from it? Can we change it in any way? How?
Organized by: International Law Association, Canadian Branch
Date: Friday, 17 September, 14:15 16:15
The forces governing world trade are not confined to the WTO. To
maintain its pace and its legitimacy and to ensure the opening up of
markets, the international trade regime has to find ways to enhance
its capacity to take account of human rights and the rights of
migrants, labour and environmental law, and the redistribution of
benefits.
This session will seek to identify and comment on various practical
ways to ensure the coherence and development of the trade regime. We
shall be identifying which of the international rules currently in
force in the area of human rights, the rights of migrants, and labour
and environmental law should be taken into account in international
trade.
We shall be addressing, in particular, ways to improve the development
and linkage of these rules with WTO law and/or to ensure that they are
reflected in the rights and obligations of the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as well as the coordination in certain
sectors codification mechanisms between international institutions and
at the State level.
There is also the question of recourse to judicial and administrative
mechanisms and the impact studies conducted in certain sectors, for
example in the environmental, social and economic areas. How can these
studies be improved and extended to other sectors? Who is best placed
to conduct these studies: the government authorities, the
international institutions and or private entities? These are some of
the questions and solutions that could help to improve coherence.
Session 34: Seeking Coherence: How can international agreements
influence agriculture and world trade positively for the coming
generation in the face of global trends?
Organized by: The Federation of Norwegian Agricultural Co-operatives
and Norwegian Farmers Union; JA Zenchu (Japan); Copa-Cogeca (European
Union); Canadian dairy, poultry and egg producers; UPA — Union des Producteurs agricoles du Quebec; ROPPA - Réseau des Organisations
Paysannes et des Producteurs agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest; Nation
Farmers Union (US); EAFF — Eastern African Farmers Federation; Schweizerischer Bauernverband (Switzerland)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 14:15 — 16:15
This session aims to provide the necessary background to the global
agricultural and societal challenges of the 21st century, and, more
specifically, to the need for coherence between what is happening at
the WTO and the objectives — including those on climate change —
pursued in other international fora. Speakers and panellists will
provide their views on the adjustments that are needed in order to
bring future agricultural-product trading systems into line with other
multilateral goals.
Relevant questions to be addressed:
Rising world demand for agricultural produce, increasing price
volatility and climate-change challenges have made it more important
than ever to enable governments to provide their citizens with food
stability and to encourage sustainable agricultural production which
both contributes to combating climate change and meets the needs of
rural communities. This is why coherence between the WTO and other
areas of global governance has become a burning question, particularly
given the multiples crises which have hit the world economy.
Agriculture is in the frontline of many of the world’s challenges and
is an important pillar in the trade talks in the WTO. If we are to
cope with the global challenges and integrate the developing countries
in a world economy, it is paramount to strengthen and develop the
rural communities.
Session 38: The (elusive?) quest for coherence in global negotiations
and norms: the case of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD)
Organized by: International Centre for Trade and Sustainable
Development (ICTSD)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 16:30 — 18:30
The long-standing debate on the relationship between the WTO Agreement
on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has received renewed
attention as CBD negotiations for a future international regime on
“Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of the
Benefits from Their Use” (ABS) gain momentum on the road to the Nagoya
Conference of Parties in October 2010. At the same time, the
Inter-governmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic
Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions
at WIPO is engaged — under a new 2009 mandate — in “text-based
negotiations with the objective of reaching agreement on a text of an
international legal instrument (or instruments)”.
In this regard, policy-makers, negotiators and interested stakeholders
are struggling to ensure greater “coherence” and “mutual
supportiveness” between the trade, intellectual property and
biodiversity regimes within their respective objectives, their
possibly conflicting rules, and their applicable principles. How can
this coherence be achieved? What does “mutual supportiveness”
concretely mean? Which responses can be provided by the international
system, particularly WTO law and jurisprudence?
These are some of the main questions that the panel of this session
will seek to address, looking at possible options for avoiding
conflict between the WTO and multilateral environment agreements — and
specifically between TRIPS, the future international ABS regime and
the possible outcome of the WIPO negotiations.
SUB-THEME IV: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: WHAT POST-CRISIS AGENDA FOR THE
WTO IN A SHIFTING-POWER SCENARIO? back to top
Lunchtime Session 1: Open and rule based global markets: The role of
government procurement and the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Organized by: BUSINESSEUROPE, the Confederation of European Business,
and BDI, the Federation of German Industries
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 12:30 — 14:00
Governments are significant purchasers of goods and services and
important drivers of international trade. For example, the value of
the European Union public procurement that is potentially open to
international trade is estimated at USD 2,083 billion — the equivalent
of 7.1 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), or 30.1
per cent of world exports. In 1994, 19 WTO member states signed a Plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) which
established a set of rules governing the procurement activities of its
parties. However, government procurement is often described as the
largest sector sheltered from multilateral trade rules — being
excluded from both the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
Although the GPA covers the biggest procurement markets, its value for
companies is limited due to the large number of derogations and
exceptions and the absence of major emerging countries. Barriers to
participation in international public procurement markets are
significant for key business sectors, such as energy, water treatment,
healthcare, construction and transport.
This session will discuss the role the WTO should play in order to
ensure that member states retain and promote open procurement markets
in general, and particularly in times of economic crisis. The
session’s overall aim is to determine whether WTO government
procurement rules are effectively guaranteeing the openness of
procurement markets around the world. Given that a number of attempts
have been made to close these markets, the role of the WTO is very
important in countering those policies. The discussions are intended
to give some indication of the WTO’s future role in this field and
will explore possibilities within and without the framework of the
Government Procurement Agreement.
Session 2: The right to development — a tool to boost coherence
between trade, development and human rights?
Organized by: 3D Trade — Human Rights — Equitable Economy (3D) and
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Date: Wednesday, 15 September, 14:00 — 16:00
Today, issues arising from WTO law and practice cannot be discussed
without referring to their “development dimension”, bearing in mind
that developing countries, countries with economies in transition and
least developed countries make up two-thirds of the WTO membership.
This session will discuss whether the right to development could
provide normative guidance in formulating trade policies, contribute
to a fairer and more equitable multilateral trading system and help to
“walk the talk” of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA).
The right to development was proclaimed in the 1986 UN Declaration on
the Right to Development, reiterated in the 1993 Vienna Declaration
and Programme of Action. This right is unique, as it encompasses civil
and political, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. More
importantly, it addresses both the national and the international
dimensions of development, requiring an enabling global environment
and international cooperation for development. Given that trade is an
important component of development policy, the right to development is
of relevance to the WTO. It could also add value to a
development-oriented conclusion of the DDA.
Questions to be discussed include:
Session 9: Coherence and crisis: Decent work, the WTO and better world
governance
Organized by: International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 14:15 — 16:15
This session aims to explore ways to increase coherence between the
work of the WTO and that of other international organizations — which
together constitute a major element of the global governance structure
— in order to jointly promote decent work, mitigate the effects of the
financial crisis, and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The session aims to address the following questions:
Coherence
Decent work and free trade
Practical dimensions
Session 14: Prospects and challenges for the liberalization of trade
in services in the WTO in the wake of the financial crisis and in a
post-crisis scenario
Organized by: Global Development and Environment Institute (GDAE), and
Tufts University, USA
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 11:15 — 13:15
In this session, experts will examine the extent to which the global
financial crisis has impacted on trade and on the development
prospects of developing countries. Panellists will address different
aspects of the crisis, from financial and environmental services to
agriculture, and will discuss different categories of countries, from
least-developed countries (LDCs) to agricultural exporting countries.
Panellists will also explore developing-country policy responses to
the crisis and the extent to which such measures are permitted or
discouraged under the disciplines of the WTO and other trading
arrangements.
LDCs are heavily exposed to external shocks because of their extensive
trade with the rest of the world. Yet they are marginalized in terms
of their share in international trade and output. They suffer from
structural weaknesses and chronic balance-of-payment and fiscal
deficits, and they are heavily dependent on commodity exports and
external financing. This session will examine the long-term industrial
and development strategies of LDCs in the wake of the crisis. The
issue of global financial re-regulation and its relationship to global
governance of international trade will also be addressed.
Finally, panellists will examine the emerging disciplines for
agricultural trade liberalization within the Doha negotiations in the
wake of the food-price crisis. Is agricultural dumping a thing of the
past? What measures are needed to ensure that developing countries can
address extreme price volatility, particularly in key food sectors?
Session 16: Beyond the Doha Round? Shaping the global trading system
to encourage innovation and solve global challenges
Organized by: National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and Winston &
Strawn LLP
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 14:15 — 16:15
Emerging global challenges, such as addressing the threat of climate
change, accessing high-quality, affordable healthcare, and ensuring
food and consumer-product safety and security through the global
supply chain, are increasingly influencing public discussions on
national and international trade rules and norms, yet they are not
being adequately addressed in the current round of global trade talks.
In this session, panellists from NFTC and Winston & Strawn and
colleagues from business, government and development communities will
address issues that are largely absent from the current Doha Round
talks, such as the future of the intellectual property rights system,
what the WTO can do to encourage global research collaboration and
technology sharing, and how to develop flexible rules to enable the
lowest-cost solutions for emerging innovative sectors.
Relevant questions to be addressed include: What issues or rules —
beyond those already under discussion in the Doha Round — should the
WTO focus on in order to make sure the global trading system is
flexible and responsive to 21st century global supply chains and
increasingly global models of research and development? Is there a
greater role for the WTO to play right now to drive innovative
solutions to global challenges? Is the multilateral system in danger
of being left behind as member economies strive to solve new concerns
in other international forums? This session is aimed at heightening
awareness of many of the forces shaping the future of world trade and
underlining the necessity of concluding the Doha negotiations
expeditiously.
Session 26: A pathway to recovery — a case for further development of
the multilateral trading system?
Organized by: European Commission
Date: Friday, 17 September, 09:00 — 11:00
The benefits of a rules-based multilateral trading system were clearly
demonstrated during the financial and economic crisis; thanks to
proper observation of WTO disciplines and peer pressure among WTO
members, borders remained open. However, WTO members need to address
significant gaps in the existing rules that have been exposed by the
financial and economic crisis.
Existing disciplines on issues such as government procurement and
sectoral subsidies have proved inadequate to address the challenges
that face economic operators. Commentators have also encouraged the
membership to tackle trade policy issues, such as trade and climate
change, which affect the interests of all WTO members.
The WTO has a responsibility not only to learn from the past, but also
to investigate future challenges. WTO members need to ensure that
multilateral trade rules contribute to a sustainable recovery of the
global economy.
This session will explore what steps — beyond traditional market
access negotiations —governments and the WTO can take towards reviving
international trade flows.
Questions for discussion include:
Session 31: Campaign for participation and representation of women’s
issues in trade: Strengthening responses to create wealth and reduce
poverty for women in informal cross-border trade in southern Africa
Organized by: Regional Export Promotion Trust Zimbabwe
Date: Friday, 17 September, 11:15 — 13:15
In southern Africa, women remain the daily managers and users of
natural resources. They are involved in the major decisions that
govern these resources and the environment. In politics and
decision-making, however, women are mobilized in large numbers to
vote, yet remain absent in decision-making positions in both the
public and private sectors. Women remain concentrated in the feminized
professions such as teaching, nursing, secretarial work, etc., and at
best hold middle management positions. It is important to understand
the factors underlying this gender paralysis in trade development so
that appropriate strategies can be designed and implemented. Enhanced
participation and representation of “women-in-trade” issues in trade
policy negotiations are called for in order to bridge the gap between
policy formulation and implementation. This will enable women to
influence fair trade, establish simplified trade regime frameworks,
and protect women’s rights in trade and employment.
This session will cover:
From a gender perspective, this session will discuss how these trends
cause and deepen the feminization of poverty in Africa, so that
policy-makers and decision-makers can take this paradigm into
consideration and come up with gender-sensitive economic alternatives
for sustainable development in Africa.
Session 36: Antidumping regime: a view from the competition policy
perspective
Organized by: Federal Competition Commission, Mexico (CFC)
Date: Thursday, 16 September, 16:30 — 18:30
The objective of trade policy is to promote market efficiency through
free trade and market liberalization. Free trade means, among other
things, the introduction of international competition into domestic
markets, resulting in better consumer welfare and a more efficient
allocation of resources. Competition policy pursues the same
objectives and is designed to ensure that companies do not limit the
benefits of market liberalization through anticompetitive behavior.
For this reason, complementarities between these two policies have
been discussed by both academics and policy-makers. A question that
naturally arose during this debate was to what extent it is possible
and desirable to substitute antidumping regulations with those that
govern competition policy and what the impact, if any, of such
substitution would be.
The thematic structure of the session will be the following:
-
Interface between antidumping rules and competition laws
After discussing the similarities, differences and complementarities
between antidumping rules and those that commonly govern competition
policy, the session will examine the following questions: What are the
objectives of antidumping and competition laws? Where do their
objectives overlap? What have been the effects of the application of
these rules in the international market place?
- Evolution of use of antidumping rules and competition laws
The session will address the following questions: Has the use of
antidumping rules and competition laws changed over the last 50 years?
Can countries use these rules as a protectionist measure? What options
are available for national and international policymakers to prevent
this?
- Current debate on use of antidumping rules versus national
competition regimes
The panellists will provide their viewpoints on the expected impact of
replacing antidumping with competition policy and on whether
international organizations should pursue an agreement for a common
competition legal framework.
Session 41: The post-crisis agenda for growth in developing and
emerging economies: unlocking the potential of telecommunications
Organized by: International Chamber of Commerce (UK)
Date: Friday, 17 September, 16:30 — 18:30
A significant body of research highlights that telecommunications have
a significant impact on economic growth and social development. This
is often interpreted as being due to the fact that telecommunications
(and associated services) help to reduce transaction costs, increase
the efficiency of markets, and consequently lead to increased
investment levels. Much of the literature on the subject suggests that
the most significant effect of telecommunications on growth occurs in
less-developed economies.
In this context, this session will examine the potential role of
telecommunication services in promoting (renewed) growth in developing
and emerging economies following the financial crisis of 2008/2009.
Following an initial review of the economic and social benefits of
telecommunication services, the session will examine the regulatory
and trade tools that could be used to unlock the full potential of
telecommunications in the developing world. Is there a role for the
WTO in this process? Is there a need for greater coordination between
the WTO and other bodies that are active in this sphere?
Session 17: Can the existing multilateral trading system cope with the
emerging challenges?
Organized by: Inter-Parliamentary Union and European Parliament
Date: Thursday, 17 September, 14:15 — 16:15
The enduring global economic and financial crisis has generated
renewed awareness of the benefits of the rules-based, stable,
predictable trading system embodied by the WTO. However, the crisis
has also exposed the system to new pressures resulting from a decline
in international trade, a surge in protectionist tendencies and a
revived interest in regional trade agreements, accentuated by chronic
doubts about the ability of the negotiating machinery to bring the
Doha Round to a successful conclusion.
Against the background of discussions about the need for a new
multilateralism model, legislators are confronted with difficult
choices about ways to overcome economic hardship and social recession.
Accepting the notion that trade is as much a consequence as a driving
force of the economic rebound, members of parliament are increasingly
assertive of their own rights and wary of the need to submit to
legally enforceable ceilings on farm subsidies and trade tariffs set
from outside. In an atmosphere of swelling antipathy to globalization,
this adds to public misgivings about the credibility of multilateral
institutions.
Parliaments bear their share of responsibility for ensuring that the
multilateral trading system is able to reform itself in response to
changing conditions. Their role is to provide stringent oversight of
government policies, commitments and plans, including in the sphere of
international trade. The panellists will consider — from a
parliamentary perspective — policy responses to the growing pressures
on the multilateral trading system in the wake of the economic crisis
and in view of the emerging challenges. This session forms part of a
continuous process known as the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, a
mechanism of parliamentary interaction with the WTO which has become
its de facto parliamentary dimension. |
