The WTO is Alive and Kicking

TradeExperette and Brexit Trade Advisor Namali Mackay shares her insights from the WTO Public Forum that took place earlier this month.

It may come as a surprise in this brave new world of unpredictable international rules - that the World Trade Organization appears to be alive and kicking.

Earlier this month, the WTO Public Forum opened its doors to non-government folk for four days, and found over 3,000 people flocking to Geneva to partake in its back-to-back sessions on the big issues in world trade.  This is no mean feat for an organization that is facing the greatest challenges of its (and the GATT before its) time - by way of a stalled 14-year old negotiating round; an Appellate Body and its flagship dispute settlement mechanism held to ransom; a huge loss of confidence in the multilateral system; and a proliferation of bilateral and regional trade agreements.

 So, was it worth the trek? Yes indeed.

The WTO building was abuzz with an eclectic mix of governments, trade negotiators, academics, think tanks, influencers, students and the business community - and they came from all corners and both hemispheres. I journeyed from the UK - pulling myself away from the crisis of gripping (non) trade issues facing their nations - and walked into the WTO somewhat jaded after almost three years of trying to encourage a real discussion of trade in the UK. 

“All in all, the turn-out and backing for the organization, as well as the breadth and depth of the subject matter on show, truly demonstrated that support for the pillars of this institution are very much alive.”

What I stepped into was a rich four-day program and 140 working sessions of debate and discussion on some of the most critical trade issues facing the world.  The themes were Services, the next generation and their asks of world trade; and the next chapter of the WTO. What was impressive was that the WTO boldly took on subjects that really needed both profile and discussion - such as China, America and the fracturing of the global trading system; the state of the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism; rethinking services trade; transforming the WTO; the use of the national security exception and trade in a changing digital landscape. What’s not to love about these hot topics?

And then the centerpiece of the 4 days was the WTO’s launch of its flagship World Trade Report - this time on the future of trade in services. While some might argue the WTO has arrived a bit late to this party, it did set out an excellent overview and finally placed services under its rightful, central spotlight in both developing and developed economies as well as on the international stage. 

The WTO should most definitely be acknowledged for facilitating a free and frank dialogue between experts and all those with big trade interests, and generating a genuine exchange of ideas. Of notable absence was a strong US presence, which was a shame - as one panelist put it - despite the current direction of US trade policy the US has consistently been a leader in the global trading system. The small group of US representatives did back this up. 

So, with all that to take on, the challenge for most of us was deciding which of the competing sessions to attend where there was standing room only, and how we could fit in the hugely valuable side meetings and networking opportunities. It was not easy, and it was non-stop - from morning until rather late.

All in all, the turn-out and backing for the organization, as well as the breadth and depth of the subject matter on show, truly demonstrated that support for the pillars of this institution are very much alive. You may also mistakenly think that I would have headed back to the UK exhausted and overwhelmed, but on the contrary I have come away especially recharged and enlivened about trade and trade policy - and decidedly reconnected with a global cohort of fellow trade geeks.

 Your experience of the WTO public forum – let us know in the comments section below!