The WTO's Presidential Lecture Series

News

Aim of the series

The lecture series provides a platform for distinguished speakers from all walks of life, ranging from presidents, prime ministers and high-level politicians to business leaders, scientists, authors and philanthropists, to discuss multilateral cooperation and global governance issues, including trade-related matters and sustainable development goals.

Speakers from both developing and developed countries will be invited to participate in the series.

The series also aims to enrich discussions in Geneva's international community and beyond by welcoming other international organizations, local authorities, academia and civil society to the lectures.

Topics

Possible topics for the lectures may include the role of multilateralism in responding to challenges of the global commons, such as post-pandemic growth, poverty reduction, proliferation of conflicts, sustainable development, climate change, the digital economy, social equality, public health, and inclusive growth.

Speakers will be invited to make concrete policy recommendations or to propose suggestions for action in relation to global governance issues and the specific themes covered by the lecture.

Frequency of lectures and audience

The aim is to hold several lectures annually at the WTO's headquarters in Geneva. A diverse audience will be invited to participate in-person, with the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the lecture.

The invited audience will include WTO ambassadors, representatives of the Swiss and Geneva authorities, and representatives of international Geneva, including non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, journalists, academics and businesspeople.

All of the lectures will be livestreamed. Video recordings of the lectures will be made available after the event.

Forthcoming lectures

The dates and speakers for forthcoming lectures will be published as soon as the relevant details are confirmed.