ACCESSIONS:
Trade for Peace events
Under the Trade for Peace initiative, a number of outreach events have been conducted to examine the relationship between the multilateral trading system and peace and security. Also, partnerships have been established with other international organisations, multinational companies, academic institutions and professional associations. The initiative has been showcased at various fora that explore the intersections among multilateral trade, peace and security.
Moderator:
-
Ms. Vicky Chemutai, Trade Economist, World Bank
Speakers:
- Dr. Michael Ferrantino, Lead Trade Economist, World Bank
Presentation - Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations in New York and Chairman of the Working Party of Iraq
Presentation - Prof. Luigi Narbone, Director, Middle East Directions, European University Institute, RSCAS/EUI
Presentation
Objectives: several Arab acceding governments are fragile and conflict affected. This session will exhibit how trade can be an important vehicle for peace.
Location: Webinar via Zoom
Date: 16 June 2020 — 17:00–18:00 (Sydney Time) / 9:00–10:00 (Geneva Time)
Description:
The webinar was jointly organized by Institute for Economics and Peace and the WTO. COVID-19, which is being experienced as a global health and economic crisis, has far-reaching implications for order, peace and security, in conflict-affected and fragile countries. The pandemic crisis can disrupt on-going peace-building efforts, and undermine future progress. It can also direct the world to focus on peace as an enabler of economic prosperity and human resilience in a post-pandemic world. The multilateral trading system can and should play a central role. Against this backdrop, the webinar explored how trade and business can build progress toward peace helping to create attitudes, structures and institutions that underpin and sustain peaceful societies.
Speakers:
- Mr. Steve Killelea AM, Founder and Executive Chairman of Institute for Economics and Peace – “Role of Business in Building Positive Peace”
- Ambassador Alan Wm Wolff, Deputy Director-General, WTO – “Trade for Peace in post-Covid-19 Global Economic Governance” — Link to the statement
Moderator: Dr. Achim Wennmann, Executive Coordinator, Geneva Peacebuilding Platform
Video link: https://vimeo.com/434962492
The Future of Trade Rules - Paris Peace Forum
Moderator: Pascal Lamy, President, Paris Peace Forum
Speakers:
- Alan Wolff, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization (WTO) (Statement)
- Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance, France
- Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister of Singapore, Chairman, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
- Arancha González, Executive Director and Chair, International Trade Centre (ITC)
- Hu Shuli, Publisher, Caixin Media
On 9 October 2019, Mr. Serge Stroobants of the Institute for Economics and Peace presented the latest publication on the Global Peace Index 2019 (available on this link: http://visionofhumanity.org/reports/). Following his presentation, Mr. Tamim Baiou, Chargé d'affaires, a.i., at the Permanent Mission of Libya in Geneva and Ambassador Osman Mohammed, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d'affaires at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Sudan in Geneva, reflected on the ways in which trade could be used as an instrument for peace in their respective countries.
Location: WTO
Date: 3 July 2019
The event was organised by the WTO Secretariat in collaboration with the g7+ WTO Accession Group and the Dutch government as a side event to the Aid for Trade Global Review 2019. For FCA countries, WTO accession is an opportunity for (re)structuring their economies in a manner that incorporates WTO-consistent trade, governance and policy frameworks. Such (re)structuring has peace dividends in countries since transparency and good governance are enhanced. The WTO accession process in FCA countries hence offers significant trade and investment opportunities for the private sector (MSMEs and multinationals), immersing the private sector into peacebuilding.
The session focused on examining the involvement of the private sector in peacebuilding in FCA countries. It:
- explored the business and investment opportunities with resulting peace dividends availed by trade as well as the associated challenges
- generated further awareness of the disruptions caused to private sector-led trade and investment by armed conflict and insecurity
- identified how the private sector can contribute to creating a peaceful and secure environment for sustainable development.
Location: Room E - 09:00-10:30
Interpretation:
(English)
Video
The Accessions Division organized its 1st Forum on WTO Accessions during the 2017 Aid for Trade Global Review, which brought together acceding Governments and the donor community to discuss accession-specific TA and CB. The Forum was a great success as it served as a match-making between the beneficiaries and the TA providers.
Over the last two years, the number of countries seeking to join the WTO has increased, in particular, from conflict-affected countries, and many governments have intensified the level of their activities, expressing a greater range of accession-specific needs. The donor community has responded positively by boosting resources for WTO accessions as they see the value for money in supporting acceding governments’ reform efforts aimed at economic transformation and in some cases, peace-building.
The 2nd Forum on WTO Accessions - Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building for Economic Transformation and Sustainable Peacebuilding will provide a platform for exchange on; (i) specific TA & CB needs of acceding governments, especially LDCs; (ii) programs and projects designed to address accession-specific needs; and (iii) emerging best practices in designing and delivering accession-specific TA & CB, aimed at economic transformation and peace-building. The expected outcomes of the Forum include direct matching of specific needs with potential TA providers, and exchange of emerging best practices in the delivery of accession-specific TA & CB.
Moderator
- Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, World Trade Organization
Panellists
- Axel Addy, former Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chief Negotiator for the WTO Accession, Liberia
- Abidov Badriddin, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, Uzbekistan
- Sherri-Nouane Duncan-Jones, Senior Development Advisor, USAID
- Jefferson Fahn, Director, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Liberia
- Caroline Freund, Director of Trade, Regional Integration and Investment Climate, World Bank Group
- Anna Hallam, Senior Advisor, Swedish National Board of Trade
- Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the WTO
- Katsuro Nagai, Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Sudan, Japan
- Maika Oshikawa, Director, Accessions Division, World Trade Organization
- Andrew Staines, Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of The Bahamas, UK
- Wilson K. Tarpeh, Minister, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Liberia
- Zhen Wang, Deputy Director General, Department of WTO Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, China
Location: WTO
Date: 21 March 2019
The event was organised on the sidelines of the 1st Meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of South Sudan. It examined the link between multilateral trade and peace. The discussion explored how peacebuilding in South Sudan impacts neighbouring countries socially, politically and economically, particularly in the Greater Horn of Africa region, while considering the role of the private sector in supporting South Sudan's WTO accession and peacebuilding initiatives.
Speakers
- Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, WTO Deputy Director-General
- Mr Aggrey Sabuni, Chief Negotiator for Accession of South Sudan to the WTO and Economic Advisor to the President of the Republic of South Sudan
- Ambassador Kadra Ahmed Hassan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Djibouti to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva
- Ambassador Zorica Maric Djordjevic, former Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the WTO
- Mr Daniel Weston, General Counsel and Global Head of Corporate Affairs and Creating Shared Value (CSV), Nestle Nespresso SA.
Moderator
- Ambassador Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the WTO and Coordinator of the g7+ WTO Accessions Group
Location: Djibouti City
Date: 3-6 December 2018
The Government of the Republic of Djibouti hosted the Second Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Greater Horn of Africa under the theme“Trade for Peace through WTO Accessions”. The underlying aim of the Regional Dialogue was to explore how WTO accession can complement the peacebuilding efforts and initiatives being conducted in the region for the realisation of sustainable peace and security, cornerstones for sustainable economic growth and development. The Dialogue was co-organized with the International Trade Centre and offered a platform for acceding governments to engage in experience sharing.
Trading off Trade: The Spillover Risk - Paris Peace Forum
Speakers:
Isabelle DURANT, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Marion JANSEN, Chief Economist, International Trade Centre
Karien VAN GENNIP, former Dutch Minister for Commerce, Chief Executive Officer, ING Bank France
Alan WOLFF, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (Statement)
Moderator:
John W.H. Denton AO, Secretary-General, International Chamber of Commerce
Location: United Nations Office, Geneva
Date: 9 November 2018
The session was organised by the WTO Secretariat as part of the Geneva Peace Week under the theme "Building Peace in a Turbulent World". The main aim of the session was to raise awareness about the contribution of multilateral trade to peace and state-building in FCA countries.
The session provided a platform for a discussion and exchange of ideas on the issue from the perspectives of government officials of FCA countries and people who come from these countries. The session provided insights into how countries that have long been isolated by years of conflict can fully realise their trade potential and reap the benefits while deliberating on how the WTO accession process can contribute to peacebuilding and development in FCA countries.
Speakers
- Mr Axel M. Addy, Chief Executive Officer of Ecocap Investment Group, former Minister of Commerce & Industry of Liberia and Chief Negotiator for the accession of Liberia to the WTO
- Ambassador Kadra Ahmed Hassan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Djibouti to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva
- Ms Kulé Galma, Youth Representative, Intern, WTO Accessions Division
Moderator
- Ambassador Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the WTO, Coordinator of the g7+ WTO Accessions Group
Location: WTO
Date: 4 October 2018
The Public Forum is the WTO's largest annual outreach event, providing a platform for discussions on the latest developments in world trade and the enhancement of the multilateral trading system. The session focused on the opportunities and challenges that FCA countries face in developing their capacities to trade.
The session provided a platform for governments from FCA countries and the relevant development partners to:
- discuss and exchange ideas on the opportunities offered by trade in achieving peace, and the specific challenges faced on the way to integration into the multilateral trading system
- familiarise a broader audience with the implications of disruptions in trade and investment in poverty reduction and development
- identify how trade and the use of technology can contribute to recovery and reconstruction and build resilience.
The session provided concrete suggestions and recommendations on how FCA countries can be integrated into the multilateral trading system and also how trade in FCA countries can contribute to peacebuilding.
Speakers
- Mr Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Eminent Person of g7+ and former President and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste
- Mr Deng Deng Hoc Yai, Minister for General Education and Instruction, Republic of South Sudan
- Ms Kamila Sidiqi, Deputy Minister for Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Afghanistan
- Ms Maryan Hassan, Chief Negotiator for the Accession of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the WTO
- Ms Sara Sekkenes, Conflict Prevention and Partnerships Advisor, UNDP Office in Geneva
- Mr Will Martindale, Head of Policy and Research at UN-Supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
Moderator
- Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy-Director General of the WTO
Location: WTO
Date: 19 September 2018
The session addressed the nexus between trade and peace by:
- exploring the historical connection between peacebuilding and the multilateral trading system
- providing background on the meaning of peacebuilding in the 21st century
- considering how fragile and post-conflict WTO acceding governments identify WTO accessions as a pathway to establishing domestic stability, economic recovery and, ultimately, peace.
Speakers
- Dr Achim Wennmann, Executive Coordinator of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform
- Ambassador Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the WTO, Coordinator of the g7+ WTO Accessions Group
- Ms Maryan Hassan, Chief Negotiator for the Accession of the Federal Republic of Somalia to the WTO
Moderator
- Ambassador Alan Wm. Wolff, Deputy Director-General of the WTO
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