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How can benefits from international trade be more balanced among economic actors, such as corporations, consumers, and workers? Discussions about the benefit tend to focus on how trade leads to economic growth and development in developing countries, but low-paid workers of the countries are sometimes missing from the bright picture. By introducing the 2013 Rana Plaza Tragedy in Bangladesh and the “Happy Worker” initiative, panellists of this session discuss the imbalance of benefits in international trade system and a measure to counter the imbalance. They also engage in discussions with the audience about how corporations and consumers can contribute to take balance of benefits by helping improve working conditions and welfare of factory workers worldwide. From the interactions, an idea will develop about how the initiative like “Happy Worker” can start and evolve in various industries and countries to make international trade more beneficial in a truly global sense.

Speakers

• Abu Shonchoy, Research Fellow, Institute of Developing Economies-Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO); Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Tokyo
• Mari Nakamura, Research Fellow, Poverty Alleviation and Social Development Studies Group, Development Studies Center, Institute of Developing Economies-Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO)
• Edgard R. Rodriguez, Sr. Program Specialist, Supporting Inclusive Growth (SIG), International Development Research Centre, Canada
• M. Abdus Salam, Chief Executive, Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), Bangladesh
• Masaki Wada, Executive Director, Energetic Green