WTO Public Forum 2017

26 Sep 2017 - 28 Sep 2017

Geneva, Switzerland

Session reports

14:30 - 15:30 No one left behind: How trade can fairly contribute to economicg growth and decent work for marginalised communities
17:00 - 18:30 The business case for e-commerce and development: Towards sustainable development
17:00 - 18:30 Making e-commerce work for consumers
17:00 - 18:30 Trade without compromise: Digital innovation, social impact and regulatory challenges
08:30 - 10:00 Agricultural trade in the new era: The relevance of agribusiness and agro-industry for the 2030 agenda for ensuring more Inclusive trade
08:30 - 10:00 E-Commerce as an engine for SME advancement in developing and low income countries
08:30 - 10:00 What are the potential implications of recent WTO e-commerce proposals on digital industrial policy?
11:30 - 14:00 Building an intelligent tech and trade initiative - ITTI augmented Intelligence and the future of global trade
11:30 - 14:00 Trade rules for development in the digital age: Reality behind the rhetoric
14:00 - 15:30 Fashioning a cultural shift through digital innovation by empowering SMEs, women entrepreneurs and artisans to move from ‘lowest price’ to ‘highest value’
14:00 - 15:30 From the G20 hamburg summit to MC11 in Buenos Aires - Smooth path or bumpy road?
14:00 - 15:30 Making trade more inclusive through digitally enabled services
15:30 - 17:00 Automation, work and the role of trade in services: Understanding transformations, exploring opportunities - Can trade policy help?
15:30 - 17:00 Enabling e-commerce for MSMEs in developing countries: Using Estonian e-residency to access international markets
15:30 - 17:00 Expectations of and possibilities for the MC11 in Argentina
17:00 - 18:30 Domestic regulation, trade in services, jobs, and digitalization: challenges and opportunities
11:30 - 13:00 Could WTO e-commerce proposals help development?
14:30 - 15:30 Building for success: A world trade agenda for the Buenos Aires ministerial
14:30 - 15:30 Increasing MSME participation in GVCs with digital technology
15:30 - 17:00 Connecting SMEs: Are e-commerce platforms the answer?
15:30 - 17:00 Digital trade rules and SMEs - Much to gain?
15:30 - 17:00 IP and other e-commerce-related legal frameworks' harmonization as a mean of inclusive trade
15:30 - 17:00 Next generation of trade: Theory and policy framework of international etrade
17:00 - 18:30 Bridging the digital divide through the Information Technology Agreement (ITA)
17:00 - 18:30 Emerging trends in digital technology and their impact on e-commerce
17:00 - 18:30 Me human, you robot - Future of work: What to expect?
17:00 - 18:30 Public procurement: New facts, figures and way forward for liberalized and inclusive markets

Event report

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Public Forum provides a platform for participants to discuss the latest developments in world trade and to propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The event regularly attracts over 1500 representatives from civil society, academia, business, the media, governments, parliaments, and intergovernmental organisations. The GIP reported from the 2017 WTO Public Forum, on 26-28 September, from sessions related to digital policy. 

Access the following resources:

Event announcement

The 2017 World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum took place on 26-28 September, at the WTO’s heardquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WTO Public Forum provides a platform for participants to discuss the latest developments in world trade and to propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The event regularly attracts over 1500 representatives from civil society, academia, business, the media, governments, parliaments, and intergovernmental organisations.

Under the overarching theme of ‘Trade: Behing the headlines’, the 2017 WTO Public Forum featured debates on the opportunities that trade offers, and the challenges it can bring. Policy makers, civil society representatives, business people, and researchers discussed how to make trade work for more people and ensure that the trading system is as inclusive as it can be.

More information on the 2017 forum is available on the WTO website.

The GIP Digital Watch observatory reported from the WTO Public Forum on 26-28 September, from sessions related to digital policy. 

WTO Public Forum 2017 Report[Update] The Summary Report is now available.
Download to read a thematic summary of the discussions related to digital policy.

Scroll down for day-by-day session reports,
and read our daily summaries: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 

 

 

 

 

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