The largest outreach event of the World Trade Organization (WTO) starts today (September 12, 2023) at the multilateral trade organisation's secretariat in the Swiss city of Geneva.
Officially termed WTO Public Forum 2023, the four-day event will examine how trade can contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
Under the theme 'It is time for action,' this year's forum will delve into the critical intersections between trade and climate change, according to a press statement from the WTO.
Participants in the forum will explore how trade can facilitate access to environmental goods, services and technologies. They will also make a set of recommendations to help achieve the Paris Agreement's Nationally Determined Contributions and maintain the ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The public forum will formally open with the release of the World Trade Report 2023 on Tuesday afternoon. This will be the 21st edition of one of the WTO's key annual flagship publications.
WTO Chief Economist Ralph Ossa is going to present the highlights of the report, which focuses on re-globalising for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.
The World Trade Report 2023, like previous years' publications, also presents a comprehensive analysis that informs policymakers, industry leaders and stakeholders alike, according to WTO officials.
It also offers a wealth of data-driven insights that will shape discussions and decisions on trade policy and strategy, they added.
Persons familiar with the latest report also said that the trade report analyses the current state of globalisation, as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions that affect international trade flows.
The World Trade Report was first published in 2003. The central focus of the report was development. And last year's report shed light on climate change and international trade.
On the first day of the forum, the Presidential Lecture will be delivered by former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Following the lecture, Gordon Brown will engage in a face-to-face conversation with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. They will discuss the global economy and the challenges facing global trade.
Representatives from civil society, academia, business, government, international organizations and the media have already arrived in Geneva to participate in the forum. The organisers have set up a packed schedule, anticipating a hectic week ahead.
The event provides a unique opportunity for stakeholders from around the world to discuss and debate the latest developments in global trade, according to a statement from the WTO. Participants will also propose ways to enhance the multilateral trading system.
Contacted, Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of Dhaka-based Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), told the FE that the public forum offers an opportunity to gather views, opinions and analyses from different stakeholders in global trade.
"In a sense, it is an agenda-shaping exercise for the ministerial conference, which is the highest decision-making event of the organisation," she added.
The 13th Ministerial Conference will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from February 26 to 29, 2024.
The head of the Dhaka-based think tank also said that this year's forum emphasises a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectivity of trade and climate.
"It is known that sustainable development and future is possible through," explained Fahmida. "It is also important to know how and to what extent it is possible, as environment-friendly measures and trade policies have different impacts on different countries, even on different sections of the population within a country."
Fahmida will attend the forum as a panel speaker. She will participate in a session on green trade measures and their development implications on the textiles and clothing industry. The Public Forum was previously known as the Public Symposium, which was first held in 2001, focusing on issues confronting the world trading system. In 2006, the annual event was renamed the Public Forum.
This year's forum has three subthemes: (a) the role of the services sector in sustainable trade; (b) inclusive policies for the advancement of green trade; and (c) digitalisation as a tool for the greening of supply chains.
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