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Background back to top
The explosion of regional agreements in many parts of the world over the
last decade and a half raises important questions about what this trend
means for multilateral trade relations in an increasingly globalized
world. There is much literature that seeks to explain and understand
what motivates regionalism. But little has been written about the
consequences for future trade relations of a continued splintering of
trading arrangements into dozens of often overlapping and potentially
inconsistent agreements. Is there a point at which this process finds
its own saturation level? Or will the political and economic costs of
increasing fragmentation lead to a reversal of regionalism?
Multilateralising Regionalism is a two and a half day conference
dedicated to exploring these issues, and in particular, the relationship
between regionalism and the multilateral trading system. The first two
days of the conference will explore how regional trade agreements might
be tamed through a multilaterally based approach to redefining trade
cooperation. The final half day will consist of a high-level discussion
by policymakers and scholars of the issues teased out in the first part
of the conference.
The published output from the conference will include a short monograph
summarizing the conference findings, together with a conference volume
containing the papers prepared for the conference and discussants'
comments. The conference volume will also contain a paper surveying the
current situation regarding regional and bilateral trade agreements.
This paper will be prepared by WTO Secretariat staff.
Sponsors
The conference is jointly organised by the Graduate Institute of
International Studies, Geneva, and the WTO Secretariat with the help of
CEPR. It is financed by the generous support of HEI, the Swiss
Government (SECO), the NCCR Trade project (IP3), the UK's Department of
Industry and Trade, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank,
the Asian Development Bank, and CEPR.
Programme back to top
Monday 10 September
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08:30 – 09:00 |
Registration at WTO. Venue: CRII |
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09:00 – 09:20 |
Welcome and opening remarks
Pascal Lamy, Director-General, WTO
Philippe Burrin, Director, Graduate Institute of International
Studies |
|
09:20 – 09:40 |
A brief introduction to the issues
Richard Baldwin, Graduate Institute of International Studies
Taming Tangles: Lessons and Challenges
Session Chair: Simon Evenett, University of St. Gallen |
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09:40 – 10:40 |
Multilateralising Regionalism: Relaxing Rules of Origin
Michael Gasiorek, University of Sussex
Discussant: Vera Thorstensen, Chairperson, WTO Committee on Rules of Origin |
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10:40 – 11:00 |
Break |
|
11:00 – 12:00 |
The Information Technology Agreement: Sui Generis or Model Stepping Stone?
Written by: Catherine Mann, Brandeis University, Xuepeng Liu, Kennesaw State University
Presented by: Chad Bown,
Brandeis University
Discussant: Alejandro Jara, Deputy Director-General, WTO Secretariat |
|
12:00 – 13:00 |
Fitting Asia-Pacific Agreements into the WTO System
Gary Hufbauer, Peterson Institute for International Economics
Jeffrey Shott, Peterson Institute for International Economics
Discussant: Joe Francois, Linz University |
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13:00 – 14:30 |
Lunch (own arrangements)
Session Chair: L. Alan Winters, University of Sussex |
|
14:30 – 15:30 |
Multilateralising Regionalism: Case Study of African
Regionalism
Peter Draper and Mzukisi Qobo, South African Institute of
International Affairs
Discussant: Cédric Dupont, Graduate Institute of International
Studies |
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15.30 – 16:30 |
Multilateralising RTAs in the Americas
Antoni Estevadeordal and Kati Suominen, Inter-American
Development Bank
Discussant: Marcelo Olarreaga, University of Geneva |
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16:30 – 16:50 |
Break |
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16:50 – 17:50 |
Services Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements: Stumbling or Building Blocks for Multilateral Liberalization?
Carsten Fink, World Bank
Marion Jansen, WTO Secretariat
Discussant: Juan Marchetti, WTO Secretariat |
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17:50 |
End of First Day |
Tuesday 11 September
|
Some specific
issues
Session Chair: Gary Hufbauer,
Petersen Institute for International Economics
|
|
09:00 – 10:00 |
A Private Sector Perspective: Living with Regionalism
Michael Treschow, Chairman of the Board, Ericsson |
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10:00 – 11:00 |
Harmonizing Preferential Rules of Origin Regimes around the
World
Antoni Estevadeordal, Jeremy Harris and Kati Suominen,
Inter-American
Development Bank
Discussant: Olivier Cadot, Université de Lausanne |
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11:00 – 11:20 |
Break |
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11:20 – 12:20 |
Beyond Tariffs: Multilaterising Deeper RTA Commitments
Richard Baldwin, Graduate Institute of International Studies and
CEPR
Simon Evenett, University of St Gallen
Patrick Low, WTO Secretariat
Discussant: Sébastien Miroudot, OECD |
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12:20 – 13:50 |
Lunch (own arrangements) |
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13:50 – 14:20 |
Introduction: Philippe Burrin, Director,
Graduate Institute of International Studies
Keynote Speech Jean-Daniel Gerber, State Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Switzerland
Session Chair: Alejandro Jara, Deputy Director-General, WTO Secretariat |
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14:20 – 15:20 |
Multilateralising Regional Trade Arrangements in Asia
Masahiro Kawai, Asian Development Bank Institute
Ganesh Wignaraja, Asian Development Bank
Discussant: Inkyo Cheong, Inha University, Korea |
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Some Systemic Issues
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15:20 – 16:20 |
Legal Avenues to “Multilateralising Regionalism”: Beyond
Article XXIV
Joost Pauwelyn, Graduate Institute of International Studies
Discussant: Roderick Abbott, European Centre for International
Political Economy |
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16:20 – 16:40 |
Break |
|
16:40 – 17:40 |
Multilateralizing ‘Deep Regional Integration’: A Developing Country Perspective
Written by: Bernard Hoekman, World Bank and L Alan Winters, University of Sussex
Presented by: L Alan Winters, University of Sussex
Discussant: Philip I Levy, Yale University |
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17:40 – 18:40 |
The Challenge of Negotiating RTA’s for Developing Countries:
What Could the WTO do to Help?
Jim Rollo, University of Sussex
Discussant: Claude Barfield, American Enterprise Institute |
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18:40 |
End of Second Day |
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19:00 |
HEI Reception for the Geneva trade community, (venue HEI)
Introduction: Alexander Swoboda, Graduate Institute of
International Studies.
Keynote speech: Coping with the Pandemic of Preferential Trade Agreements: What will work? Jagdish Bhagwati,
Columbia University and Council of Foreign Relations |
Wednesday 12 September
|
09:30 – 10:00 |
Report to the high-level segment from the conference
Patrick Low, WTO Secretariat
 Audio > help |
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10:00 – 12:30 |
Roundtable open debate
Chair: Pascal Lamy,
Director-General, WTO
Academic panellists:
Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia University and Council of Foreign
Relations
Richard Baldwin, Graduate Institute of International Studies
Panellists from delegations:
H.E. Ambassador Arsene Balihuta, Permanent Mission of Uganda
H.E. Ambassador Eirik Glenne, Permanent Mission of Norway
H.E. Ambassador Mario Matus, Permanent Mission of Chile
H.E. Ambassador Sun Zhenyu, Permanent Mision of China
Audio: part 1 > Audio: part 2 > help |
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12:30 |
Closing Remarks
Pascal Lamy, Director-General, WTO
Audio > help |
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