ECIPE Seminar: The WTO After Nairobi – Where Does It Stand?
What is the state of play at the WTO and what is the road ahead?
At the WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi a major breakthrough was achieved in the agricultural negotiations as WTO members agreed to eliminate export subsidies on agricultural goods. Another important achievement was the expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA). However, many other issue on the negotiation agenda remain unresolved and members disagree on whether and how to continue the Doha Round. What is thus the current situation at the WTO? Where does the negotiation process stand? What are the pressing issues and who are the main stakeholders which are advancing or blocking progress? In short, is there a way forward and what does it look like?
Programme
11:00 Welcome by Hanna Deringer, Policy Analyst at ECIPE
11:05 Panel Discussion
Denis Redonnet, Director at the Directorate for WTO, Legal Affairs and Trade in Goods, DG Trade
Stuart Harbinson, former Hong Kong Permanent Representative to the WTO, former WTO secretariat chief of staff, and currently a consultant and author on WTO issues
Roderick Abbott, Senior Adviser on trade policy at ECIPE and former Deputy Director General at the WTO and at DG Trade Q&A
12:30 End