Reforming the WTO: proposals for improving the governance of the multilateral trading system

The multilateral trading system is in crisis. Adding to the deadlock in the Doha Round of trade negotiations, the urge of protectionism and unilateralism in trade policies – adopted by some of the major players in the global trade – have been challenging the operations of World Trade Organization (WTO). 

Beyond the negative effects of protectionism and unilateralism on the world trade and economic growth, there is now an acute threat to WTO and its dispute settlement mechanism. The deterioration of the multilateral trading system will stimulate “beggar thy neighbor” strategies, resulting in the weakening of world trade flows, lower economic growth rates and less economic development. 

Business – as the user of the multilateral rules based trading system - is fully aware of the importance of the WTO and the need to strengthen and improve it. A strong WTO provides the stability and predictability that business needs to engage in trade and investment, promoting economic growth and job creation.

The Business 20 (B20), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and other relevant business organizations have been active in discussing and drafting recommendations to strengthen the multilateral trade system.  This process runs in parallel to the intergovernmental processes that aim at WTO reform, which started at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in 2017 (MC11). 

Therefore, ICC and CNI are hosting a seminar on April 2nd of 2019 in São Paulo. This will be an opportunity to gather a wide range of stakeholders, from business organizations, experts in trade policies and multilateral trade system and representatives of the Brazilian government.

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Program

9:00    Opening remarks
Carlos Eduardo Abijaodi, Industrial Development Director, CNI 
Nikolaus Schultze, Global Policy Director, ICC 

9:15    Panel I – Challenges and threats to the WTO in the next years
Moderator: José Augusto Fernandes, Policy and Strategy Director, CNI
Richard Baldwin, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Peter Draper, University of Adelaide
Tim Yeend, World Trade Organization (DG's Chief of Cabinet)

10:30    Coffee Break

10:45    Panel II - Business priorities for the WTO in the next years
Moderator: Fernando Landa, Unión Industrial Argentina (UIA)
Luisa Santos, BusinessEurope
Rafael Nava, Consejo Empresarial Mexicano de Comercio Exterior (COMCE)
Shaun Donelly, United States Council for International Business (USCIB)
Fabrizio Panzini, CNI

12:30    Lunch

14:00    Brazilian Government View: WTO reform priorities and new trade policy 
Min. André Odenbreit, Director of Multilateral Economic Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Lucas Ferraz, Secretary of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economy

14:30    Panel III – How to reform the WTO?
Moderator: Sandra Rios, CINDES Brasil
Jeffrey Schott, Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) 
Nikolaus Schultze, Global Policy Director, ICC 
Tim Yeend, World Trade Organization (DG's Chief of Cabinet)

15:45    Closing remarks
Carlos Eduardo Abijaodi, Industrial Development Director, CNI