Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala observed during her visit to the Pacific last November the importance of creating better access to professional opportunities in trade policy, particularly at the multilateral level, where the WTO can play a key role in capacity building for the region. A long-term approach of academic support was identified, including support for students from the region to participate in the Moot Court Competition. Supporters and sponsors immediately sprang into action to enable this first participation of students from the Pacific region.

The WTO provided training materials to the students' coach while both the WTO and the Pacific Islands Forum connected the team to practitioners in the region who helped to guide the students as they prepared for the competition. The hosts of the event — the European Law Students Association and the Asian Law Students Association — waived participation fees.

The governments of Australia and New Zealand agreed to jointly provide funds to cover the costs of flights and accommodation of the team while they were in Singapore. Most importantly, the team and its academic advisor put in the time and effort to draft written submissions, to prepare their case, and to come to Singapore to debate against teams from throughout the region.

Each year around 90 universities from dozens of countries across the world participate in the competition, with students competing in five regional rounds — two rounds in Europe and one for the Americas, Africa, East Asia and Oceania, and West and South Asia. The best teams from each round proceed to the final round which usually takes place in June in Geneva, with the Grand Final being hosted at the WTO Headquarters.

“It was truly an inspiration to see such an engaged and enthusiastic group from the Pacific, the first time this region has participated at all in this programme — a programme which we know is often the gateway to significant careers and indeed leadership roles in this field,” said Antony Taubman, Director of the WTO's Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition Division who judged the competition in Singapore. “Pacific representation is a very welcome step forward to a more inclusive trade law community.”

The moot court has proved to be an important capacity-building tool in introducing law students to a career in international trade law. Moot court participants have gone on to further academic studies in trade, to jobs in their governments and major law firms, and to internships and jobs at the WTO Secretariat.

The WTO has been a technical sponsor and partner in the competition since its inception in 2002-2003. The regional rounds continue in Kolkata for the West and South Asia Round from 3 to 7 March, then Accra for the Africa Round on 8-12 March, Puerto Vallarta for the Americas Round on 15-19 March, Salzburg on 12-15 April, and finally Brno on 19-23 April. The WTO looks forward to welcoming all the finalists to Geneva in June.

The University of the South Pacific is jointly owned and governed by 12 member countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. It has campuses in all member countries.

For more information about the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition, visit its website here or its LinkedIn page here.