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The biennial Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium, organised by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and held alongside the WTO ministerial conference for over a decade, is the leading multi-stakeholder platform for intellectual enquiry and dialogue on sustainable development and the global trade and investment system. It acts as an inclusive platform outside of the WTO negotiating setting for sharing ideas, engaging in dialogue, and influencing trade policy negotiations. Drawing in participants from government, business and civil society, the Symposium helps to maintain and elaborate a global vision of sustainable development in trade and investment policymaking.
Monday, December 11
 

9:00am GMT-03

How to defend development interests in the new economic and political trade environment?

The multilateral trading system is in crisis: not only are the benefits of globalization in question but the inclusive system itself, as the backbone of international trade relations and with the WTO as its guardian, is in danger.  Moreover the centrality of the WTO is under threat with partial deals being pursued through “variable geometry” channels Global leaders are re-examining their roles and strategies when it comes to trade. The crisis in multilateralism and growing uncertainty about the direction of future global trade relations heavily affects the Doha round. Before these recent developments, the Round already was in serious trouble due to the polar opposite views on how it should be concluded that are held by major developed and developing members. Poor developing countries, including LDCs, suffer as in most partial deals they do not have a seat at the table and no opportunity to voice their concerns. Their small size in terms of trade volume combined with a non-assertive approach in negotiations allows bigger players to proceed in their agenda-shaping discussions without them. Meanwhile, outside negotiating rooms, the development of new technologies is dramatically changing trade patterns worldwide. It has also enabled an unprecedented growth of e-commerce, which created previously non-existing opportunities for remote small-scale manufacturers. Poor developing countries including LDCs stand to gain from these developments only if they are well organized and work together in shaping the future multilateral rules to work for their development.

 

Against this backdrop the Session will examine negotiating avenues that could be pursued by poorer developing countries in the international arena to make sure that the global trading system is responsive to their development needs. The Session will discuss possible responses by those countries to various new developments such as regional integration, plurilateral and bilateral exclusive agreements as well as how they can act to minimize any negative effects of these developments on their economies.  In addition, the Session will also invite panellist to brainstorm on the trade policy reform that is needed  in the lesser developed countries to make sure that their own trade ecosystems are in tune with developments of the 21st Century and are  aimed at integrating them into the mainstream of  world trade .

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Moderator
avatar for Nicolas Imboden

Nicolas Imboden

President, Ideas Centre
Mr Nicolas Imboden, a Swiss national, graduated in law at the University of Geneva, holds a degree in development studies from the African Development Institute; a M.A.L.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston and was an AMP student at Harvard. He is partner and... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Debapriya Bhattacharya

Debapriya Bhattacharya

Chair, LDC IV Monitor and Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue
Debapriya Bhattacharya, PhD is a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, where he was its first Executive Director. Former Bangladesh Ambassador to WTO and UN Offices in Geneva and Vienna; Coordinator of LDC Group in the UN system and Special Advisor on... Read More →
avatar for Peter Draper

Peter Draper

Managing Director, Tutwa Consulting Group
Peter Draper is Managing Director at TUTWA Consulting Group, which specialises in policy and regulatory analysis, international business expansion advisory, and corporate public affairs advisory, in Southern African and emerging markets. In South Africa, he is also Senior Research... Read More →
avatar for Naushad Forbes

Naushad Forbes

Immediate Past President, CII Co-Chairman, Forbes Marshall Private Limite
Naushad Forbes is the Co - Chairman of Forbes Marshall, India's leading Steam Engineering and Control Instrumentation firm. He chairs the Steam Engineering Companies within the group.   Naushad was a Lecturer and Consulting Professor at Stanford University from 1987 to 2004 where... Read More →
avatar for Pedro de Camargo Neto

Pedro de Camargo Neto

Vice President, Sociedade Rural Brasileira
Agriculture



Monday December 11, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

9:00am GMT-03

Food Security, Biotechnology and WTO Rules
WTO rules set up different disciplines related to the promotion of a fair international trade of agricultural products. Particularly the Agreement of Agriculture and the Agreement of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures estipulates several principles to be follow by all WTO Members. biotechnology is a well known technology applied in several countries but with a large numbers of regulatory restrictions for adoption, production, use and consumption. biotechnology is a tool to attend the increasing demand of food in a world with scarcity. biotechonology is a real tool to reduce problems of food security and WTO has disciplines that allow Members to approve biotechnology materials for food consumption based on science.

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Moderator
avatar for Carmen Vicien

Carmen Vicien

Profesor, Facultad de Agronomía - UBA
Carmen Vicién es Ingeniera Agrónoma egresada de la Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Realizó estudios de posgrado en Francia (Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier y Universidad de París I- Sorbona).En la actualidad es Profesora Regular Titular... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Roberto Bisang

Roberto Bisang

Profesor Investigador, Fac Ciencias Economicas - UBA
ROBERTO BISANG. Licenciado en Economía (UNR, 1977) y Msc. en Economía (CEMA, 1982). Profesor Visitante de Science Policy Research Unit (Universidad de Sussex, UK).Investigador del Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política (IIEP) FCE/UBA y del Centro de Investigación y... Read More →
avatar for Valentina Delich

Valentina Delich

Secretaria Academica, FLACSO
Valentina Delich, actualmente es Secretaria Académica de la FLACSO-Argentina.  Abogada (UBA), MA in International Relations (The American University), Doctora en Derecho Internacional (UBA). Profesora regular Derecho Internacional Público (UBA), propiedad intelectual (FLACSO e... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

9:00am GMT-03

China and Global Economic Governance
Recent years have witnessed China’s growing engagement with Global Economic Governance. This session will focus on China’s new policies and future action on Global Economic Governance. Topics are as followed:
1. China and G20, and the development on multilateral investment agreements (Axel Berger)
2. China and Investment Policy
 (Cristian Rodriguez Chifelle)
3. China and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Trade, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Growth (Anabel Gonzalez)
4. China and WTO multilateral trading system
(Bernard Hoekman)
5. China’s growing engagement with Global Economic Governance
(Longyue Zhao)

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Moderator
avatar for Longyue Zhao

Longyue Zhao

Professor and Dean, School of International Governance Innovation, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Dr. Longyue Zhao is an experienced international economist in China. He currently is an University Professor and Dean of the School of International Governance Innovation at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The School is focus on issues of the WTO, international rule making... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Axel Berger

Axel Berger

Senior Researcher, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Dr. Axel Berger is a researcher at the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, DIE), Department for World Economy and Development Finance, Bonn. He holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Duisburg-Essen and a Master degree from... Read More →
avatar for Cristian Rodriguez Chiffelle

Cristian Rodriguez Chiffelle

Head of Trade and Investment Policy, World Economic Forum
Cristián Rodríguez Chiffelle is Head of Trade and Investment Policy and a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva. In this capacity, he leads a policy team working globally on issues such as international investment, digital trade, global value chains... Read More →
avatar for Anabel Gonzalez

Anabel Gonzalez

Senior Director, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, The World Bank Group
Anabel González is Senior Director of the World Bank Group’s Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice (from July 2014). In this capacity, she leads a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank Group's global and country agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate... Read More →
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

9:00am GMT-03

Getting the Future Africa-UK Trade Partnership Right
The UK’s decision to exit the European Union (EU) has significant implications for Britain’s trade policy relationship with Africa. While Africa may not be a top priority for the UK trade policy post-Brexit, the strong historical links and today’s meaningful trade relationship between many African nations and the UK suggest that Africa should not be overlooked by the British government. In addition, now is the moment to establish the foundations of a strong and mutually beneficial long-term relationship.

Urgent action is required to provide continuity in the trade relationship between Africa and the UK. An immediate priority is to ensure at a minimum that existing market access is retained for all African countries following Brexit. While maintaining continuity and avoiding uncertainty is crucial, there should be an attempt to replace existing EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with an improved framework that addresses the divisions created by the EPA process and its various limitations. The UK’s new trade policy offers an unprecedented opportunity to introduce a more comprehensive partnership framework that is more effective in supporting Africa’s integration, industrialization and development agendas. There is a real risk of missing this opportunity if urgent action is not taken.

So what type of form would a more comprehensive and progressive Africa-UK partnership agreement take? The objective of this session is to advance understanding of the opportunities and challenges Brexit presents for African countries. In doing so policy options for effectively leveraging Brexit to support the achievement of Africa’s development and trade objectives, at the same time as delivering win-win solutions that can also facilitate the interests of the UK, will be highlighted. The session will consider issues beyond UK market access including reciprocity, rules of origin, standards, and complementary targeted capacity building.

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Moderator
avatar for Jodie Keane

Jodie Keane

Economic Advisor, Trade division, Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat has recently undertaken a six month project on Graduation from Least Developed Country status. This process has included a specific contribution to the Gradjet platform being developed by the UN Committee for Development Policy, on trade related adjustment... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Chiedu Osakwe (Ambassador)

Chiedu Osakwe (Ambassador)

Director General and Chief Negotiator, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN)
His Excellency, Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe is the Chief Trade Negotiator for Nigeria and the Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations. He is the Chairman of the Negotiating Forum for the Continental Free Trade Area Negotiations and its Technical Working Group on... Read More →
HA

Hon Amelia Kyambadde

Trade Minister, Uganda
avatar for Dr. Maximiliano Mendez-Parra

Dr. Maximiliano Mendez-Parra

International Economic Development Group, Overseas Development Institute
Maximiliano Mendez-Parra is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Economic Development Group, Overseas Development Institute. Max is a trade economist and former trade official in Argentina. He specialises in the analysis of multilateral and regional trade policies in agriculture... Read More →
avatar for Brendan Vickers

Brendan Vickers

Economic Adviser, International Trade, The Commonwealth Secretariat
Dr Brendan Vickers is Economic Adviser in the Trade, Oceans, and Natural Resources Directorate at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. Previously, he was Head of Research and Policy in the South African Department of Trade and Industry. He also worked in the non-governmental sector... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

10:45am GMT-03

Trade Rules for the Digital Economy: regional, plurilateral and multilateral approaches to achieving binding disciplines where they are most needed
This panel will look at the different approaches taken to try and achieve binding trade disciplines for the digital economy and discuss whether regional and multilateral approaches have a mutually reinforcing role to play or whether a plurilateral approach among like-minded WTO Members is the best way to achieve tangible outcomes in a reasonable time-frame.

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Moderator
avatar for James Lockett

James Lockett

Vice President, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.
James has over thirty years’ experience in international trade law and policy. He worked on EU and GATT/WTO trade issues for 14 years in Brussels, where he finished as a partner in a Wall Street law firm, including extensive work in the electronics/IT industries. He then was based... Read More →

Speakers
MF

Martina Ferracane

Research Associate, European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE)
avatar for Rupa Ganguli

Rupa Ganguli

Founder and CEO, Inclusive Trade Ltd.
Rupa is the Founder and CEO of Inclusivetrade.com, a revolutionary new online retail B2C platform, that provides consumers with the ability to ‘#ShopByImpact’. While empowering small businesses, artists and female entrepreneurs, inclusivetrade.com connects tradition with technology... Read More →
avatar for Constance Chidiogor Ikokwu

Constance Chidiogor Ikokwu

Communications Director to the Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment Nigeria
Constance Chidiogor Ikokwu is an accomplished Journalist, Analyst and Communications Strategist. She is the Strategy and Communications Adviser at the Nigerian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. She previously held the same position at the Ministry of Finance     Her... Read More →
avatar for Pascal Kerneis

Pascal Kerneis

Managing Director, European Services Forum (ESF)
Trade in services, domestic regulation, e-commerce, investment




Monday December 11, 2017 10:45am - 12:10pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

10:45am GMT-03

Sustainable Investment: What Role for the WTO?
With ongoing slow global economic growth, countries continue to work on the levers of dynamic growth and sustainable development. A key strategy is to focus on attracting and facilitating foreign investment inflows in order to enhance a country's participation and movement along global value chains (GVCs), an approach expected to not only create more jobs, but better jobs, and growth. Over the last decades however, despite attracting record amounts of foreign direct investment before 2007, in most cases, developing countries have found that the investments attracted were either short-term, or had failed to generate sufficient spillovers and backward linkages, resulting in a local private sector that was not competitive enough to participate and upgrade along additional global value chains. Given such a trend, this session will seek to contribute to a better understanding of why developing countries struggle to increase, retain, and benefit from the investments attracted. How should policies and frameworks be adapted to not only increase investments, but to facilitate the flow of sustainable investments? This session, leveraging the momentum of recent discussions taking place at the WTO and the G20 on investment, aims to explore options for additional international coordination, for the purpose of increasing global flows in sustainable investments. 

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Moderator
avatar for Rashmi Jose

Rashmi Jose

Senior Programme Officer on Investment Policy, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)
Rashmi Jose is a Senior Programme Officer, Investment and Regulatory Systems at ICTSD having previously been a Programme Officer for ICTSD's E15 Initiative. Ms. Jose earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Anthropology from New York University, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. She previously worked as a financial analyst at Procter & Gamble in... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Cristian Rodriguez Chiffelle

Cristian Rodriguez Chiffelle

Head of Trade and Investment Policy, World Economic Forum
Cristián Rodríguez Chiffelle is Head of Trade and Investment Policy and a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva. In this capacity, he leads a policy team working globally on issues such as international investment, digital trade, global value chains... Read More →
avatar for Sahra English

Sahra English

Vice President, Global Public Policy, Mastercard
Sahra English is Vice President of Global Trade Policy at MasterCard. In this role, she is responsible for leading the company’s global trade agenda, and leading advocacy strategies for major trade negotiations, including TPP, TiSA, TTIP, and other investment treaties. Among her... Read More →
avatar for Anabel Gonzalez

Anabel Gonzalez

Senior Director, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, The World Bank Group
Anabel González is Senior Director of the World Bank Group’s Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice (from July 2014). In this capacity, she leads a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank Group's global and country agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate... Read More →
avatar for Alejandro Jara

Alejandro Jara

Former Deputy Director General, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the WTO
Alejandro Jara was born in 1949 in Santiago, Chile. He obtained his law degree from the University of Chile in 1973. He pursued graduate studies at the Law School, University of California at Berkeley (1975–1976). In 1976, he joined the Foreign Service of Chile where he specialized... Read More →
avatar for Alejandro Ramos

Alejandro Ramos

Senior Integration Specialist, Integration and Trade Sector, INTAL/IDB
Senior Specialist in Integration and Trade of the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Bachelor in Economics at the National University of Costa Rica and PhD candidate at the Complutense University of... Read More →
avatar for Karl P. Sauvant

Karl P. Sauvant

Resident Senior Fellow at Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) and Senior Fellow at ICTSD
Karl P. Sauvant is Resident Senior Fellow, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute at Columbia University; ICTSD Senior Fellow – Investment; Lecturer-in-Law, Columbia Law School; Guest Professor, Nankai University... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

10:45am GMT-03

Elimination of harmful fisheries subsidies: MC11's Low Hanging Fish
An agreement on the elimination of harmful subsidies by 2020, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal #14 (the "Ocean SDG") and the UN 2030 Agenda adopted in September 2015, has been identified as the "low hanging fruit" for WTO MC11. In its 2017 Annual Report the WTO reports that "fisheries subsidies dominated work in the negotiating Group on Rules during 2016 [...] many WTO members saw an outcome on fisheries subsidies a 'critical area for action' for th WTO MC11 in Buenos Aires."

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Speakers
avatar for Claire Nouvian

Claire Nouvian

President, BLOOM
Claire Nouvian is an environmentalist dedicated to protecting the ocean and Claire Nouvian is an environmentalist dedicated to protecting the ocean and livelihoods from destructive fishing practices. She is particularly renowned for her commitment to putting an end to deep-sea bottom... Read More →
avatar for Remi Parmentier

Remi Parmentier

Director, The Varda Group
A founding director of the international consultancy The Varda Group, Rémi is a veteran of the international environmental movement with nearly 40 years of experience in the field. From 1979 onwards, Rémi has worked on behalf of international NGOs within multilateral bodies, to... Read More →
avatar for Peter Thomson

Peter Thomson

Special Envoy for the Ocean of the UN Secretary General, United Nations
Ambassador Peter Thomson is a senior Fijian diplomat who was recently appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as his Special Envoy for the ocean, seeking to galvanize efforts to protect the world's seas, including through the implementation of SDG14, the Sustainable Development... Read More →
avatar for David Walker

David Walker

New Zealand Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, New Zealand Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization
Ambassador David Walker currently serves as Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the World Trade Organization. This is his third posting to Geneva. Between 2009 and April 2011 Dr Walker also served as New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and as Chair of the Doha... Read More →




Monday December 11, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

11:15am GMT-03

Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Trade - Understanding the Linkages
Recent years have witnessed active reform of fossil fuel subsidies at the national level with more than 40 countries capitalising on the opportunity presented by low oil prices. At the same time, G7, G20 and APEC economies have maintained and built on commitments to phase out and undertake peer reviews of fossil fuel subsidies. And yet, in 2015 it was estimated that government subsidies to fossil fuels stood at around USD 425 billion (USD 325 billion consumption subsidies and USD 100 billion to production subsidies).  

New Zealand will lead a Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Ministerial level event as part of the TSDS.   The objective of the event will be to share information amongst participants on  fossil fuel subsidies and trade and to promote an open discussion on the issue and following questions:
• What are the links between fossil fuel subsidies and trade?
• How do fossil fuel subsidies hold us back from trade in sustainable energy?
• How have countries delivered and benefitted from reform without harming trade?
• How have countries increased transparency on fossil fuel subsidies at the national and international level?
• What are the options for action on subsidies within the WTO and to encourage reform?

The event will also see the launch of a Ministerial Statement calling for an intensified discussion in the WTO on inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

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Moderator
avatar for Soledad Aguilar

Soledad Aguilar

Director for Climate Change, Min.Environment and Sust.Develop., Argentina
Soledad Aguilar is an expert in international environmental law, she is Argentina’s National Director of Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment and directs the Postgraduate Course in Law and Economics of Climate Change in FLACSO Argentina. She has participated in more than... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alvaro Cedeño

Alvaro Cedeño

Ambassador to the WTO, Permanent Misison of Costa Rica to the WTO
Álvaro Cedeño Molinari was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the WTO on February 2015. Among his responsibilities he holds his country’s representation at the OECD, in Paris, France, during the current process of accession to the membership.Previously... Read More →
avatar for David Laborde

David Laborde

Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
His research interests include international trade, measurement and modeling of protectionism, multilateral and regional trade liberalization, and as environmental issues such as the impacts of climate change and use of biofuels. Recently, he has been focusing on costing the roadmap... Read More →
avatar for Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne

State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne is the French State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was born on September 15th 1977, in Bourg-La-Reine, France, and studied at the “Institut d’études politiques” (“Sciences Po”) in Strasbourg, and at “l’ESSEC”. He worked for... Read More →
avatar for Kai Mykkänen

Kai Mykkänen

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Kai Mykkänen was appointed Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development in June 2016. He is a Member of Parliament since 2015.Minister Mykkänen is known for his expertise on energy, Russia and the economics. He was the first chairman of the Parliament’s informal and interpartisan... Read More →
avatar for Amy Porges

Amy Porges

Principal, Porges Trade Law PLLC
Amy Porges advises companies, governments and trade associations on how to use WTO law, trade agreements and investment rules to solve complex market access problems.  She represents governments and stakeholders in negotiations and litigation in the WTO and free trade agreements... Read More →
avatar for Oscar Stenström

Oscar Stenström

State Secretary to the Minister, EU Affairs and Trade
Oskar Stenström is State Secretary to the Minister for EU Affairs and Trade, Mrs. Ann Linde, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Sweden with the responsibility for EU affairs, trade policy, EU single market as well as promotion of trade, investment and Sweden. From 2014 to 2016... Read More →
avatar for Vangelis Vitalis

Vangelis Vitalis

Deputy Secretary, Trade and Economic Group, Ministry of Foriegn Affairs and Trade
Vangelis is Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator for the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership and Special Envoy for the Small Advanced Economies Initiative.He most recently served as New Zealand’s... Read More →
avatar for Peter Wooders

Peter Wooders

Group Director, Energy, IISD
Based in Geneva, he has 20 years’ experience across the energy sector, with a particular specialization in electricity generation. Peter currently contributes to various IISD’s programmes, including Trade & Climate Change, notably Border Carbon Adjustment and the GHG impacts of... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 11:15am - 12:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

12:15pm GMT-03

12:25pm GMT-03

Plenary: The Global Economy, the 2030 Agenda, and Prospects for Trade

A backlash against economic globalisation has swept through many economies in the two years since trade ministers met in Nairobi, Kenya. The losses and gains, real or perceived, from trade have been actively debated. Simultaneously, governments have universally endorsed the 2030 Agenda, a blueprint to achieve inclusion and sustainability at the national level and in the global economy. What can trade policy now do to boost confidence in a system that works for all? Where can trade policy help to deliver growth and jobs of the future amid a rapidly changing technology landscape?

The E15 Initiative (E15) opening plenary session aims to move beyond the debate on the merits and demerits of economic globalisation to focus on where trade policy, and particularly the WTO agenda, can deliver for sustainable development. This plenary session will assess the prospects for the future of the global economy and trade growth, in terms of major trade policy changes that can contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. This evaluation will take into account the role of major economies in safeguarding and improving trade governance to serve a more inclusive, balanced, and sustainable development course.

The plenary will set the stage for the targeted discussion to take place in the E15 track at the TSDS focused both on the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11), as well as the functioning of the WTO and potential deliverables in the long-term.

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Moderator
avatar for Shawn Donnan

Shawn Donnan

Editor, World Trade, The Financial Times, Financial Times
Shawn Donnan leads the FT’s coverage of trade, globalisation, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank from his base in Washington. He previously served as World News Editor, coordinating the FT’s international economic and political news coverage. In that role he oversaw... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Roberto Azevêdo

Roberto Azevêdo

Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO)
Roberto Azevêdo is the sixth Director-General of the WTO. He became  Director-General on 1 September 2013, serving a four-year term. At a meeting of the General Council in February 2017, WTO members agreed by consensus to appoint Roberto Azevêdo as Director-General for a second... Read More →
avatar for Sigrid Kaag

Sigrid Kaag

Minister, Ministry for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
Sigrid Kaag worked for Shell International in London between 1988 and 1990 and at the UN Political Affairs Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1993. She subsequently held a series of international positions. From 1994 to 1997 she was the Programme Manager and Head... Read More →
avatar for Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Chief Executive, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ (@RMelendezOrtiz) is co-founder of ICTSD and has been its Chief Executive since 1996. Previously, he co-founded and was General Director of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Quito). He has represented Colombia as a negotiator in several multilateral fora, including as permanent delegate of Colombia... Read More →
avatar for Félix Peña

Félix Peña

Director, Institute of International Trade, ICBC Foundation
Félix Peña is a specialist in international economic relations, international commercial law and economic integration. He held positions at INTAL, the IDB, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was also Undersecretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy of Argentina. He... Read More →
avatar for Richard Samans

Richard Samans

Member of the Managing Board, World Economic Forum
Mr Samans is a Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He is responsible for the Forum’s action and policy oriented multistakeholder initiatives on major global challenges, relations with intergovernmental and civil society organizations and portfolio of... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 12:25pm - 1:20pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1:30pm GMT-03

E-commerce for Development: Where Can Trade Deals Boost the Enabling Environment?

E-commerce holds promise for delivering new business opportunities and inclusive trade. But it has not yet lifted all boats. This session will explore the extent to which the trade policy community can contribute to improving the enabling environment for cross-border e-commerce and, as a priority, ensuring this works for development and small business. Participants will discuss what specific issues — from electronic payments to logistics — would most benefit from trade policy interventions as well as where public-private collaboration can help.

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Moderator
avatar for Kimberley Botwright

Kimberley Botwright

Policy Analyst, World Economic Forum
Kimberley Botwright is a Policy Analyst, Digital Trade, International Trade & Investment at the World Economic Forum. Kimberley was formerly Policy and Editorial Adviser, Office of the Chief Executive at the Internaaliciational Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ady Beitler

Ady Beitler

Integration and Trade Senior Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank
Ady is an Integration and Trade Senior Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank, where he leads technology-based projects in trade facilitation, such as ConnectAmericas.com and the Argentine Trade Single Window. Ady also coordinates the Americas Business Dialogue’s Digital... Read More →
avatar for Rupa Ganguli

Rupa Ganguli

Founder and CEO, Inclusive Trade Ltd.
Rupa is the Founder and CEO of Inclusivetrade.com, a revolutionary new online retail B2C platform, that provides consumers with the ability to ‘#ShopByImpact’. While empowering small businesses, artists and female entrepreneurs, inclusivetrade.com connects tradition with technology... Read More →
avatar for François Martins

François Martins

Manager for Government Relations and Public Policy, Mercado Libre
François Martins is Mercado Libre’s (NASDAQ:MELI) manager for Government Relations and Public Policy based in Brazil. François builds bridges between Mercado Libre’s business needs and the public sector's programmes and goals to achieve a better and sounder business environement... Read More →
avatar for Paulina Nazal

Paulina Nazal

General Director of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile
Paulina Nazal has a Commercial Engineering Degree (Business administration) from the University of Chile and a Masters in Applied Economics from New York University. Academically, she has taught economics at the Universidad Diego Portales and at the Institute for International Studies... Read More →
avatar for Mark Wu

Mark Wu

Assistant Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Mark Wu is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Law School, where he teaches international trade and international economic law. He serves as a Faculty Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He works with a number of organizations on trade-related... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

1:30pm GMT-03

Services and inclusive economic transformation: The role of regulations

Services now constitute almost 50% of world value-added trade and are the heart of multilateral, mega-regional and regional trade negotiations, with services and services-related issues comprising well over half of the disciplines in modern trade agreements.

Even though all LDCs and developing countries export services, improving the efficiency and contribution of services to domestic economic transformation and sustainable growth faces a number of challenges. One of the most significant ones are inadequately designed and/or implemented regulatory frameworks. This hinders the potential for services to support inclusive development, especially the participation of SMEs and women in the economy. In addition, the external context for services trade has been rapidly evolving with renewed discussions in the WTO on domestic regulation, and the incorporation of new and modernized disciplines on domestic regulations in recently concluded trade agreements such as the CETA and Pacific Alliance, as well as future agreements such as the TiSA and TPP. Policy-makers and regulators need to repond to these challenges in order to craft domestic regulations that are effective, WTO-compatible, inclusive and take into account new developments.

This session objective is two-fold: 1) exploring the contribution of services to sustainable development, in particular to overall economic competitiveness and inclusion; 2) explore how domestic regulations can contribute to this objective, in particular, what could be done at domestic level, and multilaterally.

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Moderator
avatar for Deborah Vorhies

Deborah Vorhies

Managing Director, ICTSD
Deborah VORHIES is ICTSD’s Managing Director. She holds an MBA and earlier degrees in law and finance. Prior to joining ICTSD, Mrs. Vorhies spent six years with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) (World Bank Group), developing and managing its Biodiversity portfolio.She... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Theresa Carpenter

Theresa Carpenter

Executive Director, Graduate Institute,Geneva
avatar for Mere Falemaka

Mere Falemaka

Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to the WTO, PIFS
Currently Permanent Representative of the Pacific Islands Forum to the WTO since 2013 (particularly representing non-resident Members). Formerly Chief Economist in Fiji Government Ministry of Trade Commerce and Industry(1999-2000), Trade Policy Adviser on WTO at Pacific Islands Forum... Read More →
avatar for Jacqueline Musiitwa

Jacqueline Musiitwa

Founder and Managing Partner at Hoja Law Group and Governing Board Member at ICTSD
Jacqueline Musiitwa is the Founder of Hoja Law Group and a former Mo Ibrahim Foundation Fellow at the World Trade Organization. Musiitwa’s focus is on the importance of good governance and rule of law, and on improving Africa’s standing in the world. Musiitwa has served as an... Read More →
avatar for Felipe Sandoval

Felipe Sandoval

Senior Advisor, Trade Law and Negotiations, ICTSD
Felipe is now ICTSD's Senior Advisor, Trade Law and Negotiations, having previously been a Lead Negotiator Trade in Services Agreement – TISA 2012-2017. In this capacity, Mr. Sandoval coordinated Chile´s team on a variety of topics ranging from electronic commerce financial services... Read More →
avatar for Sherry Stephenson

Sherry Stephenson

Senior Fellow ICTSD, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
PhD in International Economics, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva; MA in Economics, New York University. Expert in the area of international trade policy, particularly services trade. Senior Fellow, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

1:30pm GMT-03

Fostering more equitable and sustainable trade in food and agricultural goods- a closer look at sustainability product standards
The flexibility of the Paris Agreement leaves considerable leeway for governments to set their own emissions targets and to design policies and measures for meeting those targets. In addition, a variety of firms and stakeholders are taking initiatives to enhance climate action irrespective of government action, not the least in the food sector. In fact, as producers strive to reduce their carbon footprint, a range of labels, standards and guidelines are emerging and proliferating, constituting a complex web of requirements which producers and exporters need to meet in order to market their products. In the context of international trade, this is on the one hand beneficial, as consumers may exercise some control over the produce they purchase, and producers can get credit for being carbon efficient. On the other hand, multiple requirements, possibly conflicting or overlapping, may effectively create barriers to trade for producers, in particular in developing countries with limited capacity. In addition, there’s the challenge of effectively recognising the efforts towards sustainability of individual producers. The evolution of this complex landscape is happening largely in parallel to the work of intergovernmental agencies dealing with related issues. The WTO indeed deals with issues related to market access and technical barriers to trade in food and agriculture, but not as a priority at MC11. In reality much of the progress is happening elsewhere, such as in bilateral or regional free trade agreements. The UNFCCC similarly takes note of how responses to climate change may cause social and economic impacts on third countries, but without taking a more proactive stance in the area of food standard and labels. 

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Moderator
avatar for Alicia Bárcena

Alicia Bárcena

Executive Secretary, UNECLAC
Alicia Bárcena is the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) where she previously held the positions of Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division. Prior to her time in ECLAC, Alicia... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Soledad Aguilar

Soledad Aguilar

Director for Climate Change, Min.Environment and Sust.Develop., Argentina
Soledad Aguilar is an expert in international environmental law, she is Argentina’s National Director of Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment and directs the Postgraduate Course in Law and Economics of Climate Change in FLACSO Argentina. She has participated in more than... Read More →
avatar for Ximena Franco

Ximena Franco

Director, Florverde Sustainable Flowers, Colombia
Ingeniera industrial de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, MSc. en Gestión Ambiental para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, con estudios en Gerencia de organizaciones de desarrollo, Cambio climático, Certificaciones ambientales y Liderazgo, entre... Read More →
avatar for Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Chief Executive, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ (@RMelendezOrtiz) is co-founder of ICTSD and has been its Chief Executive since 1996. Previously, he co-founded and was General Director of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Quito). He has represented Colombia as a negotiator in several multilateral fora, including as permanent delegate of Colombia... Read More →
avatar for Ximena Olmos

Ximena Olmos

Consultant, UN-ECLAC
Ximena is an expert on trade and sustainability issues and held positions at DIRECON in the Foreign Ministry of Chile. She holds an MA in International Strategy and Trade Policy at the Universidad de Chile and teaches at the Universidad Diego Portales and at the Instituto de Estudios... Read More →
PP

Patricio Parra

Director R+D, Vinos de Chile
Patricio Parra is Director of Research, Development and Innovation at  Vinos de Chile, the national wine association. As part of his functions, he is responsible for the administration of the Sustainability Code of the Chilean Wine Industry. He is member of the Accreditation Committee... Read More →
LR

Luis Rodríguez

Dirección de Gestión de Calidad Ambiental, Ministry of the Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
Luis Eduardo Rodríguez Ugalde is Coordinator  of the Environmental Footprint and Labeling Program at the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica. He hold a degree in Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy and an MA in Natural Resources Management. He is also President of... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

1:30pm GMT-03

International Trade and Food Security: The Vision of Food Exporting and Importing Countries
Demand for raw materials will remain expanding over the next decades, driven by population and income growth, especially in developing countries. An improved income distribution joined with a strong urbanization process, not only increases demand but also reconfigures it. Consumers begin to diversify their diets, incorporating a greater consumption of meats and dairy, and other greater processed products.
Bigger demand for agricultural products for food and feed, but also for energy and other industrial uses, will put pressure on increasingly scarce natural resources, affected by factors such as soil degradation, salinization of irrigated areas and climate change.
Given the constraints to incorporate new lands into the production process, increasing yields per hectare will gain greater importance as a source of production growth. In this way, the development, diffusion and full utilization of the technologies involved becomes imperative.
Even though the growth of world supply expected for the next years will complement the increase in demand, it will become increasingly difficult for most countries to achieve food self-sufficiency, due to unfavorable agro-ecological conditions, scarcity of natural resources, lack of infrastructure and investment, and public policies that distort international markets, among others.
Although significant increases are expected in several countries, production tends to be concentrated in a small number of countries. Imports will be diversified into a greater number of destinations, leaded by developing countries. Whereas Asia will remain the most dynamic importing region, Africa will increase its share in grain, meat and dairy imports.
While acknowledging the growing role of world trade in granting food security by linking non-self-sufficiency regions with those rich in renewable natural resources and surplus production, agricultural products will remain facing the biggest trade barriers.
In addition to traditional obstacles, new non-tariff measures to trade, both public and private, had emerged, affecting not only the expansion of food markets and new bio-based products, but also placing limits on technological development and demand changes in production processes along the entire value chain.
For this reason, the reform of the rules affecting agricultural trade becomes a priority if we want it to realize its full potential, contributing to World Food Security in all its dimensions (availability, access, use and stability).
To be successful it must take into account the concerns expressed by both exporting and net food importers, adapting to the new scenario, with a focus on meeting the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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Moderator
avatar for Marcelo Regunaga

Marcelo Regunaga

Counceling Member, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Academic Director of the Formation and Training Department of the Bolsa de Cereales. Academic Director and Professor at the Agribusiness Unit of the University of San Andrés. Professor of the Graduate Program on Agribusiness at the University of Buenos Aires. Has conducted more than... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Chris Carson

Chris Carson

Director, International Policy, Ministry for Primary Industries
avatar for Bipul Chatterjee

Bipul Chatterjee

Executive Director, CUTS International
Bipul Chatterjee (50) is Executive Director, CUTS International, a global think-tank on trade, regulations and governance with its headquarters in Jaipur, India and centres in Geneva, Hanoi, Nairobi, Lusaka and Accra. He has done M.A. (Economics) from Delhi School of Economics, and... Read More →
avatar for Pam Johnson

Pam Johnson

President, The International Maize Alliance
Pam Johnson is a sixth- generation farmer who works with her family to produce corn and soybeans in northern Iowa.Johnson has served as a volunteer leader in many commodity groups over the course of her career and is a leading advocate for agriculture and rural economic development... Read More →
avatar for Ekaterina Krivonos

Ekaterina Krivonos

Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ekaterina Krivonos leads the work of the Trade Team in the Trade and Markets Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Her experience is focused on analyzing trade policy issues in relation to agricultural markets and food security... Read More →
avatar for Jane S Nalunga

Jane S Nalunga

Executive Director, Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda
Jane Seruwagi Nalunga is an expert on trade, tax and investment related issues. She has more than twenty years of experience in policy research, analysis and advocacy and has authored a number of policy oriented studies and articles. Jane sits on a number of national policy making... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

3:15pm GMT-03

Facilitation 2.0: Accelerating Sustainable Trade and Investment Flows
Full implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) could reduce trade costs globally by up to 17.5%, with the largest drops expected in low and lower middle income countries. Many countries are eager to replicate the TFA experience by simplifying and harmonising procedures in other policy areas, such as investment, services and e-commerce. Potential efforts include harmonising, simplifying and automating the notification and publication of services measures and investment regulations and laws; simplifying the procedures for investment and license applications; and enhancing cooperation amongst national focal agencies. This session seeks to assess whether the facilitation model is a useful multilateral framework to address behind-the-border barriers to trade. Additionally, the session will also examine potential lessons from where the TFA has spurred capacity building, including through public-private partnerships, to enable implementation of commitments in developing countries. 

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Moderator
avatar for Sean Doherty

Sean Doherty

Head, International Trade & Investment, World Economic Forum
Sean Doherty is head of International Trade & Investment and a member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum. He leads the Forum’s work on digital trade, investment, global value chains, the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation and the Global Future Council on... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Chiedu Osakwe (Ambassador)

Chiedu Osakwe (Ambassador)

Director General and Chief Negotiator, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN)
His Excellency, Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe is the Chief Trade Negotiator for Nigeria and the Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations. He is the Chairman of the Negotiating Forum for the Continental Free Trade Area Negotiations and its Technical Working Group on... Read More →
avatar for Mariano Bosch

Mariano Bosch

CEO & Co-founder, Adecoagro
Mr. Bosch co-founded Adecoagro in 2002 and since then has been the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s board of directors. Adecoagro is a leading agricultural company based in South America, with presence in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Adecoagro owns farmland... Read More →
avatar for Ralph Carter

Ralph Carter

Managing Director, Trade and International Affairs, Fedex Express
BS and JD, Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock; LLM, American Univ. Worked in US Dept of State, as Special Asst. to the US Ambassador to the EU. 2001, joined FedEx, Brussels. Directed FedEx's government affairs activities with the European Commission, Parliament and Council, as well... Read More →
avatar for Antoni Estevadeordal

Antoni Estevadeordal

Manager, Trade and Integration Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Antoni Estevadeordal is the Manager of the Integration and Trade Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He has expertise in trade policy, economic integration and regional cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Asia-Pacific and Europe. He coordinates IDB’s... Read More →
avatar for Jacqueline Musiitwa

Jacqueline Musiitwa

Founder and Managing Partner at Hoja Law Group and Governing Board Member at ICTSD
Jacqueline Musiitwa is the Founder of Hoja Law Group and a former Mo Ibrahim Foundation Fellow at the World Trade Organization. Musiitwa’s focus is on the importance of good governance and rule of law, and on improving Africa’s standing in the world. Musiitwa has served as an... Read More →
avatar for Flavio Scorza

Flavio Scorza

Director of Foreign Trade Competitiveness, Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services
Flavio Scorza is the Director of Foreign Trade Competitiveness at the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services. In his 10 years at the Ministry, he has been engaged in many trade facilitation initiatives, such as the review of import and export procedures and regulations... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

3:15pm GMT-03

Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Rules of Origin
Regional trade agreements (RTAs) and particularly deep integration agreements concluded in recent years have increasingly allowed firms to operate within a networked global economy. On the other hand, however, RTAs also have also created limitations, not least through the use of strict rules of origin (RoO) which disincentivise the use of cheaper parts and materials from countries outside a particular trading block. By limiting the ability of firms to take part in value chains spreading across various RTAs, the diversity and complexity of RoO can therefore limit efficiency gains opportunities offered by globalisation. Strict and diverse sets of rules of origin may also prevent developing countries including least developed countries from fully benefiting from the enhanced market access granted through preferential schemes or negotiated under their RTAs. A possible solution could be pushing for the simplification and harmonisation of RoO, seizing on the momentum the issue has gained within the WTO after Bali and Nairobi as well as through the negotiations under way in the context of mega-regional agreements. The session will provide an overview of the most pressing issues concerning RoO with regard to their design, implementation, purpose, restrictiveness, and utilisation and will explore the most effective way to go in promoting the harmonisation and simplification of inclusive RoO, to be achieved through a cumulation scheme.

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Moderator
avatar for Christophe Bellmann

Christophe Bellmann

Senior Resident Research Associate, ICTSD
Christophe BELLMANN is a Senior Resident Research Associate at ICTSD with more than 20 years of experience working on international trade negotiations and policy making from a sustainable development perspective. Mr. Bellmann joined ICTSD in 1998, first as Programme Officer for Outreach... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →
avatar for Stefano Inama

Stefano Inama

Chief, UNCTAD
Stefano Inama is a Chief and trade lawyer at UNCTAD. For over 25 years Mr. Inama has been responsible for trade policy advise to Governments during the WTO negotiations and the implementation aspects of WTO agreements, as well as during negotiations of Free Trade Agreements such as... Read More →
avatar for Anna Jerzewska

Anna Jerzewska

Independent Consultant
Anna Jerzewska is a free trade agreements specialist with a combination of private sector, policy and academic experience. She currently works as a global trade and customs consultant in the private sector, advising clients across a number of industries on a wide range of global trade... Read More →
avatar for Luis Felipe Quintero

Luis Felipe Quintero

Luis Felipe Quintero is a professional in the foreign trade sector, with more than 12 years participating in and leading Colombian trade negotiations and implementing international trade policy. He is a noted expert in Rules of Origin policy and negotiation and has conducted extensive... Read More →
avatar for Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman

Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
Professor Mustafizur Rahman is an economist by training. He is currently serving as Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, Bangladesh, prior to which he served as CPD’s Executive Director. Earlier Dr Rahman had taught in the University of Dhaka where he was... Read More →
avatar for Gail Strickler

Gail Strickler

President of Global Trade, Brookfield Associates, LLC
Gail W. Strickler is the President of Global Trade for Brookfield Associates, LLC., a consulting group that helps organizations, governments and businesses develop and coordinate their global trade policy. Ms. Strickler served as the Assistant US Trade Representative for Textiles... Read More →




Monday December 11, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

3:15pm GMT-03

Towards a Smooth Transition from the German to the Argentinian G20 Presidencies
Trade policy has emerged as one of the most contested policy fields during Germany’s G20 presidency. Given the recent spat on trade between the US and a number of G20 countries including the German chair the respective section in the communiqué of the Hamburg Summit is surprisingly strong emphasising the importance of a rules-based international trading system including effective rules’ enforcement within the World Trade Organization. The G20, furthermore, commits to promote social and environmental standards and human rights in global value chains. Reading between the lines, though, some differences are still visible. For example, the G20 in Hamburg commits to “fight protectionism including all unfair trade practices” while recognising “legitimate trade defence instruments”. Against this background, this panel discussion reflects on the outcomes of the Hamburg Summit, its implications for the MC11 in Buenos Aires and Argentina’s G20 presidency.

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Moderator
avatar for Axel Berger

Axel Berger

Senior Researcher, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Dr. Axel Berger is a researcher at the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, DIE), Department for World Economy and Development Finance, Bonn. He holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Duisburg-Essen and a Master degree from... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Cristian Rodriguez Chiffelle

Cristian Rodriguez Chiffelle

Head of Trade and Investment Policy, World Economic Forum
Cristián Rodríguez Chiffelle is Head of Trade and Investment Policy and a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva. In this capacity, he leads a policy team working globally on issues such as international investment, digital trade, global value chains... Read More →
avatar for Simon Evenett

Simon Evenett

Professor, University of St. Gallen
Simon J. Evenett is Professor of International Trade and Economic Development, and for the past 5 years has also been Academic Director of the MBA, at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He is also the coordinator of the independent trade policy watchdog Global Trade Alert... Read More →
avatar for Moira Feil

Moira Feil

Senior Policy Officer, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Dr. Moira Feil is a Senior Policy Officer at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, where she has specialised in strategic multilateral develpoment policy since 2011. Responsible for sustainable development in the G7 and G20 team, her successes include... Read More →
avatar for Félix Peña

Félix Peña

Director, Institute of International Trade, ICBC Foundation
Félix Peña is a specialist in international economic relations, international commercial law and economic integration. He held positions at INTAL, the IDB, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was also Undersecretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy of Argentina. He... Read More →
avatar for James Zhan

James Zhan

Senior Director, Investment and Enterprise, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
PhD in International Economics. Three decades of experience in the areas of trade, investment, technology, business facilitation and enterprise development, including directing policy research, multilateral consensus-building and technical assistance to over 160 governments. Led the... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

3:15pm GMT-03

SMEs: The New Stakeholders of International Trade
The session will show how SMEs are using the Internet to export through interesting stories from SMEs from key regions, and couple of stories from platforms.

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Moderator
avatar for Gonzalo Navarro

Gonzalo Navarro

Executive Director, Asociación Latinoamericana de Internet

Speakers
avatar for Nicholas Bramble

Nicholas Bramble

Public Policy Counsel, Google
Nicholas Bramble is the Deputy Head of Global Trade Policy at Google, where he has worked since 2013. Prior to joining Google he was a Presidential Innovation Fellow, and served as a lecturer and director of the Law and Media Program at Yale Law School. He filed amicus briefs in Golan... Read More →
avatar for Matías Doublier

Matías Doublier

Co-founder and COO, Increase
Matias Doublier, 24 years old, entrepreneur. Co-founder and COO of Increase, a company dedicated to empower businesses in Latam by providing fintech solutions and connecting them together.
avatar for Alan Elias

Alan Elias

Senior Manager, Global Public Policy, eBay, Inc.
Alan Elias is Senior Manager of Global Public Policy at eBay and a member of the eBay Public Policy Lab with a focus on the Americas. Since joining eBay in 2015, Alan has conducted in-depth analysis on data covering eBay activity around the world and has co-authored trade, economic... Read More →
avatar for Emilce Grimi

Emilce Grimi

Head of Finance, Workana
Emilce Grimi, CFO of Workana, the first and the largest freelance community in Latin America, with 25,000 SMEs and 30,000 freelancers bidding every month on the platform.
avatar for Jerry Ho

Jerry Ho

Chairman, APAC MSMEs Trade Coalition
In addition to being the Founder of Olivia Premium, Jerry is the Sales Director at New Zealand Green Wave Limited, the Chairman of the New Zealand Green Industry Association and a Director at Feel Good Corporation.Jerry is also the Deputy Convenor of The Small Business Development... Read More →
avatar for Konstantin Matthies

Konstantin Matthies

Associate, AlphaBeta
Konstantin Matthies is an Associate with AlphaBeta, a strategy and economics advisory business serving clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors globally. AlphaBeta helps clients to identify the forces shaping their markets and develop practical plans to create... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5:00pm GMT-03

New Industrial Policy in the 21st Century
Ten years on from the financial crisis, countries continue to seek out levers to reinvigorate dynamic growth and sustainable development. Many are increasingly re-examining the use of industrial policies as a means to promote industrial growth, diversification and structural transformation, to build toward a more resilient economy. This session seeks to review how industrial policies have evolved in light of recent changes in the global economy, technology, and trade and investment patterns; and to determine whether existing international trade and investment systems provides adequate policy space for countries to achieve their sustainable development objectives, whilst facilitating 21st century international patterns of production.

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Moderator
avatar for Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Chief Executive, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ (@RMelendezOrtiz) is co-founder of ICTSD and has been its Chief Executive since 1996. Previously, he co-founded and was General Director of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Quito). He has represented Colombia as a negotiator in several multilateral fora, including as permanent delegate of Colombia... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Mario Cimoli

Mario Cimoli

Deputy Executive Secretary a. i., UN ECLAC
Mario Cimoli is Deputy Executive Secretary a. i. of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). In 2004, he was appointed co-director (with Giovanni Dosi and Joseph Stiglitz) of two task forces: Industrial Policy and Intellectual Property... Read More →
avatar for Daniel Gomez Gaviria

Daniel Gomez Gaviria

Senior Economist, World Bank
Daniel Gómez is Senior Economist in the trade and competitiveness LAC team. Based in Buenos Aires, he is the focal point for trade and competitiveness work in the Southern Cone (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Daniel has experience in competitiveness; productive development policy... Read More →
avatar for Rebecca Liao

Rebecca Liao

VP of Business Development and Strategy, Skuchain
Rebecca Liao is VP of Business Development and Strategy at Skuchain, a blockchain platform that provides an end-to-end solution for the supply chain. She is also a writer and China analyst. She was a member of Secretary Clinton’s foreign policy team for her 2016 presidential campaign, responsible for Asia trade and economic policy. Rebecca was... Read More →
avatar for Jingxia Shi

Jingxia Shi

Dean, School of Law, China University of International, Business & Economics (UIBE)
Jingxia Shi is Dean at China University of International Business & Economics (UIBE) Law School; Director, UIBE International Law Institute (ILI) and UIBE Research Center for Unification of Commercial Law (RCUCL). Focuses on international economic law, particularly, WTO law on trade... Read More →
avatar for Colette van der Ven

Colette van der Ven

Associate, International Trade, Sidley Austin LLP
Colette van der Ven is an associate specialized in international trade at Sidley Austin’s s Geneva office. counsels and represents clients on all aspects of international trade law with a particular focus on WTO law and WTO dispute settlement. Specifically, Colette represents clients... Read More →
avatar for Gustavo Zentner

Gustavo Zentner

President, InterPOC - International Point of Commerce
Gustavo works with export companies and those entering into global markets. He coordinates trade information, market intelligence, and provides senior level executive coaching and advice to company owners.  He is an advisor to government economic development agencies to foster discussion... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

5:00pm GMT-03

Do developing countries still have policy space to achieve their legitimate objectives under WTO rules?
This session discusses the extent to which WTO law, as clarified in the jurisprudence, allows developing countries to pursue their legitimate policy objectives, such as the protection of the environment, human health, economic development, and public morals.

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Moderator
avatar for Niall Meagher

Niall Meagher

Executive Director, Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL)
Mr. Niall Meagher has been the Executive Director of the ACWL since July 2012.  Before becoming Executive Director, Mr. Meagher had been Senior Counsel at the ACWL since September 2004.  In this capacity, he assisted ACWL Members and LDCs in WTO dispute settlement proceedings before... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Jaime Coghi

Jaime Coghi

Minister Councellor, Mission of Costa Rica to the WTO
Jaime Coghi is the Deputy Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the WTO. Mr. Coghi has extensive experience at international level in the formulation and negotiation of trade agreements in the WTO. Negotiator for Costa Rica since 1997, Mr. Coghi has participated in the negotiations... Read More →
avatar for Gustavo Lunazzi

Gustavo Lunazzi

Director Dispute Settlement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina
Gustavo Lunazzi is (Acting) Director of International Economic Dispute Settlement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, where he handles WTO disputes and the defense of Argentine interests in antidumping and CVD investigations conducted by other countries. As a career diplomat... Read More →
avatar for Alejandro Sanchez

Alejandro Sanchez

Counsel, Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL)
Alejandro Sánchez has been Counsel at the ACWL since 2010. As Counsel, he has assisted developing countries in WTO dispute settlement proceedings and has advised on a broad scope of WTO legal issues.Prior to joining the ACWL, Mr. Sánchez served for four years as legal advisor at... Read More →
avatar for Cherise Valles

Cherise Valles

Deputy Director, Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL)
Ms Valles is Deputy Director at the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL). Before becoming Deputy Director, Ms. Valles had been Senior Counsel at the ACWL since 2001. She has assisted ACWL developing country Members in several dispute settlement proceedings before the WTO Appellate Body... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

5:00pm GMT-03

E-commerce and MSMEs: Towards more inclusive trade

E-commerce has opened a gateway of new opportunities for micro, small, medium and micro enterprises (MSMEs), to access international markets, find new sources of demand and build value through exposure to new technologies. Supported by social media, digital promotion and e-commerce platforms, MSMEs can promote their products and services to professional buyers and consumers across the world, and build a name for themselves beyond their geographical borders.

Evidence reveals that, in relative terms, women entrepreneurs are significantly more active in  e-commerce than in traditional trade. E-commerce therefore has a strong potential to contribute to closing the gender gap in international trade.

Developing countries are taking advantage of e-commerce and e-solutions. According to GSMA, an association of mobile operators, by 2020 there will be more than 700 million smartphone connections in Africa, which is twice the projected number in North America and around the total in Europe. 

Beyond this optimistic picture there are challenges, especially for MSMEs in developing countries.  Significant barriers exist for these MSMEs to establish an online presence internationally, and opportunities are most often limited to the domestic market. Moreover, firm-level data show that there is a significant connectivity gap for women-owned or managed firms.

There are still far too few e-commerce platforms that operate internationally out of developing countries. Furthermore, logistics costs are relatively higher in developing countries, hindering e-commerce transactions from this group. These challenges matter, because e-commerce offers great potential to deliver economic growth, jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, both for the MSMEs directly active in the business and in a wide range of supporting services. Absence from international e-commerce is a missed opportunity. It is an important component of modern competitiveness. 

Access to digital technologies underpins the ambitions behind many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – and e-commerce can be an important engine for inclusive economic growth, creating jobs for youth and empowering women. Being online levels the playing field when it comes to gender as the share of women-owned firms doubles when moving from traditional offline trade to cross-border e-commerce.

Findings from the ITC MSME E-Commerce Competitiveness Survey and ITC’s contribution to the Aid for Trade at a Glance 2017 on closing the small business and gender gap will be discussed during the session to illustrate the potential for a more inclusive e-commerce ecosystem for MSMEs and for women entrepreneurs in developing countries, and showcase how effective trade policy can help support this.

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Moderator
avatar for Marion Jansen

Marion Jansen

Chief Economist, International Trade Centre
Marion Jansen is the Chief Economist of the International Trade Centre (ITC), responsible for ITC’s flagship publication “SME Competitiveness Outlook” and the institution’s recent publications on e-commerce. She also oversees ITC’s work on export strategies. Marion previously... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Chandrajit Banerjee

Chandrajit Banerjee

General Director, Confederation of Indian Industry
Chandrajit Banerjee has been with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for over 30 years and since 2008 as its Director General. He has led many CII initiatives on economic and industry related policies. He has also been working for the Indian Industry to enhance competitiveness... Read More →
avatar for Alexander Mora Delgado

Alexander Mora Delgado

Ministro, Ministerio de Comercio Exterior Costa Rica
Alexander Mora was appointed Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica on May 8 2014. As Foreign Trade Minister, Mr. Mora oversees Costa Rica´s foreign trade and investment portfolios, as well as the relationship with multilateral organizations like the WTO, OECD, SIECA, among others. Mr... Read More →
avatar for Arancha González

Arancha González

Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
Arancha González has served as Executive Director of ITC, the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, since September 2013. Before joining ITC, Ms. González was Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013... Read More →
avatar for François Martins

François Martins

Manager for Government Relations and Public Policy, Mercado Libre
François Martins is Mercado Libre’s (NASDAQ:MELI) manager for Government Relations and Public Policy based in Brazil. François builds bridges between Mercado Libre’s business needs and the public sector's programmes and goals to achieve a better and sounder business environement... Read More →
avatar for Mr. Alioune Sarr

Mr. Alioune Sarr

Minister of Commerce, Informal Sector, Consumer Affairs, Promotion of Local Products and SMEs, Senegal
Before being appointed to the Government of Senegal, Mr. Alioune Sarr was Director General of the Senegalese Agency for Export Promotion (ASEPEX). In this position he launched major projects and conducted missions for the positioning of products and services “Made in Senegal... Read More →
avatar for Longyue Zhao

Longyue Zhao

Professor and Dean, School of International Governance Innovation, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Dr. Longyue Zhao is an experienced international economist in China. He currently is an University Professor and Dean of the School of International Governance Innovation at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The School is focus on issues of the WTO, international rule making... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5:00pm GMT-03

Advancing Environmental and Labour Priorities Through Trade Agreements
The development and implementation of provisions related to sustainable development has recently emerged as a two-speed process: while limited progress is being observed at the WTO-level, several bilateral and regional trade agreements have been increasingly featuring a wide variety of measures, including regulatory commitments, labour- and environment-related instruments, and cooperation mechanisms. This session seeks to explore how sustainability concerns, in particular labour and environmental provisions, are incorporated in regional trade agreements (and mega-regionals) and what benefits and challenges arise from these provisions. Additionally, the session tries to identify suitable provisions that could be multilateralised or at least adapted to further the discussion at the multilateral level (i.e. WTO or other international fora).

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Moderator
avatar for Dr. Gustavo Beliz

Dr. Gustavo Beliz

Director, Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL)
Lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires with postgraduate studies in the London School of Economics (LSE), United Kingdom. Current Director of the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with focus on... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Axel Berger

Axel Berger

Senior Researcher, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Dr. Axel Berger is a researcher at the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, DIE), Department for World Economy and Development Finance, Bonn. He holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Duisburg-Essen and a Master degree from... Read More →
avatar for Peter Draper

Peter Draper

Managing Director, Tutwa Consulting Group
Peter Draper is Managing Director at TUTWA Consulting Group, which specialises in policy and regulatory analysis, international business expansion advisory, and corporate public affairs advisory, in Southern African and emerging markets. In South Africa, he is also Senior Research... Read More →
avatar for Pablo Arturo Lazo Grandi

Pablo Arturo Lazo Grandi

Labour Attaché, Chilean Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva
Pablo Lazo-Grandi is a Chilean Lawyer, who recently chaired the revision of the ILO Tripartite Declaration on EMNs, is also member of the ILO’s Advisory Committee on the workers’ rights in globalized economies and has been a Senior Advisor to the Chilean Director General of International... Read More →
MK

Mathias Kende

Deputy Trade Policy Committee, Directorate General European Affairs, Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs
avatar for Gail Strickler

Gail Strickler

President of Global Trade, Brookfield Associates, LLC
Gail W. Strickler is the President of Global Trade for Brookfield Associates, LLC., a consulting group that helps organizations, governments and businesses develop and coordinate their global trade policy. Ms. Strickler served as the Assistant US Trade Representative for Textiles... Read More →
avatar for Madelaine Tuininga

Madelaine Tuininga

Head of Unit for Trade and Sustainable Development, DG Trade, European Commission
Madelaine Tuininga works for the Directorate-General for Trade of the European Commission since 1998. Since 2016, she is head of unit of the unit in DG Trade responsible for trade and sustainable development. The unit covers a broad area of topics, including trade aspects of labour... Read More →
avatar for Peter Waldorff

Peter Waldorff

Adviser, LO - The Danish Trade Union Confederation
Peter Waldorff, born 1955, is a Danish citizen. He has taken up a broad range of functions within the trade union movement. With a background in public services at the Municipality Lyngby-Taarbaek outside Copenhagen at the age of 25 he started working for the trade union HK Denmark... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

6:30pm GMT-03

TSDS Welcoming Session

Keynote speech delivered by H.E. Mr Jorge Faurie, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina, on “Argentina in the global economy, the WTO MC11 and the G20”.

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Speakers
avatar for Miguel Braun

Miguel Braun

Secretary of Commerce of Argentina
Miguel Braun is Secretary of Commerce of Argentina since December 10, 2015. Before taking this responsibility, Mr. Braun was Executive Director of the Pensar Foundation, the think-tank of Pro, the political party founded by President Mauricio Macri. He was a board member of Banco... Read More →
avatar for Raúl Cavallo

Raúl Cavallo

President, Bolsa de Cereales
1996 – 2001 Vicepresidente 2º de la Bolsa de Cereales 2001 – 2002 Presidente de la Bolsa de Cereales 2004 – 2009 Consejero Titular 2015 -  Abril’17 Tesorero Abril’17 – Agosto’17 -Vicepresidente 1º Agosto’17 hasta la actualidad  – Presidente de la Bolsa de... Read More →
avatar for Antoni Estevadeordal

Antoni Estevadeordal

Manager, Trade and Integration Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Antoni Estevadeordal is the Manager of the Integration and Trade Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He has expertise in trade policy, economic integration and regional cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Asia-Pacific and Europe. He coordinates IDB’s... Read More →
avatar for Jorge Faurie

Jorge Faurie

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Workship
Embajador - Embajador de la República Argentina en Francia – 2015-2017Secretaría de Coordinación y Cooperación Internacional – 2014-2015Embajador - Dirección General de Asuntos Culturales – 2013Embajador - Embajada Argentina en la República Portuguesa – 2002-2012Secretario... Read More →
avatar for Marcos Hermansson

Marcos Hermansson

President, Mercado a Término de Buenos Aires S.A
Mr. Marcos A. Hermansson serves as President of the Board at Mercado A Termino De Buenos Aires S.A.
avatar for José María Lladós

José María Lladós

Executive Director, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Lawyer (University of Buenos Aires) and Magister in International Relations (SAIS, Washington D.C). Executive Director of the Argentine Council for International Relations, CARI. He is former Secretary of Defense Production and former Secretary of Strategic Planing, both at the Ministry... Read More →
avatar for Jorge Mandelbaum

Jorge Mandelbaum

Presidente del Consejo de Administración del Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC)
Jorge Mandelbaum is President of CIPPEC (Center for the Implementation of Public Policy), the most prestigious, independent and non-partisan think tank in Argentina. CIPPEC focuses on issues in education, health, fiscal policy, justice and transparency, and was ranked by the University... Read More →

Facilitator
avatar for Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Chief Executive, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ (@RMelendezOrtiz) is co-founder of ICTSD and has been its Chief Executive since 1996. Previously, he co-founded and was General Director of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Quito). He has represented Colombia as a negotiator in several multilateral fora, including as permanent delegate of Colombia... Read More →



Monday December 11, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00pm GMT-03
Trading Room
 
Tuesday, December 12
 

9:00am GMT-03

Economic Gender Gaps, Trade and Economic Growth
The Sustainable Development Goals recognize gender equality as a major prerequisite to achieve inclusive development worldwide by 2030. In its Goal 5, the 2030 Agenda recognizes the unequal burden that unpaid work represents for women and the endemic gender discrimination in labor markets as main obstacles for women to achieve full potential (Economic and Social Council 66, 2017). The average amount of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work is more than threefold higher for women than men, according to survey data form 83 countries and areas (Economic and Social Council 66, 2017). Women are still underrepresented in managerial positions: in the majority of the 67 countries with data from 2009 to 2015, less than a third of senior and middle management positions were held by women (E/66/2017).Recognition of associated factors to labor market gender gaps is a first step to identify policies that help to bridge them. These interventions represent an efficient investment in sustainable development, as there is evidence of how much would economic benefits outweigh the costs (Bandiera & Natrak, 2014). According to a study, closing the gender gap could increase the size of the global economy by USD 2.1 trillion (McKinsey Global Institute, 2017). The panel will review that evidence briefly to lay the foundations for the central inquiries: ¿What policies should governments enact and what is the best way to redistribute initial costs? Besides, the speakers will consider what it means to incorporate a gender perspective in economic, labor and social policies. For instance, recent experiences in trade liberalization showed different impacts on the wellbeing of men and women; this makes a strong case for the need to include gender considerations in trade policy evaluation. No policy is neutral and the achievement of gender equality requires the recognition of this fact by policymakers.  

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Moderator
avatar for Martin Rapetti

Martin Rapetti

Director, Economic Development Programme of CIPPEC
Martin Rapetti is Director of the Economic Development Programme of CIPPEC. He holds a PhD. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires. He is an associate researcher at CONICET, associate... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Susana Balbo

Susana Balbo

Mother, first female winemaker in Argentina, entrepreneur, successful businesswoman and Congresswoman.After graduating cum laude with a degree in Enology in 1981, Susana Balbo became the first female winemaker in Argentina’s history, and her first vintage of high quality Torrontés... Read More →
avatar for Carolina Castro

Carolina Castro

Executive Sherpa, Business 20
Carolina Castro is Executive Sherpa at the Business 20, an international employer’s forum that makes policy recommendations to the G20 countries. She was Undersecretary for Small and Medium Enterprises at the Production Ministry of Argentina. Previously, she worked in the family... Read More →
avatar for Mona Küppers

Mona Küppers

Chair, National Council of German Women’s Organizations
Mona Küppers is a marketing expert and works for the Institute for Sports Science of the University Duisburg-Essen. For many years she held decision making positions in an honorary capacity within the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (German Olympic Sports Confederation - DOSB). Her... Read More →
avatar for Triaca Lorena

Triaca Lorena

External Affairs Director, Argentina Investment and Trade Promotion Agency
Mrs. Triaca is a seasoned professional with expertise in both public and private sectors. She has developed her skills within the telecommunications industry as well as being Adviser to the Minister of Interior. Currently She is the Executive External Affairs Director at the Argentina... Read More →
avatar for Irene Natividad

Irene Natividad

President, Global Summit of Women
Irene Natividad, a recognized leader for women in the United States and throughout the world, is President of the Global Summit of Women, an annual international gathering of women leaders from around the world on business and economic issues, and Chair of Corporate Women Directors... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

9:00am GMT-03

Win-Win: How International trade Can Help Meet the SDGs
The recently agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are expected to guide development through the 2030 time horizon. The 17 SDGs cover many areas, such as poverty, health, sustainable development, and the environment. Given that trade is not an end in itself, there is no specific SDG goal for trade, but it is recognized as an important means of implementation. The objective of this session is to discuss the contribution that international trade can make to achieving the SDGs.

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Speakers
avatar for Yann Duval

Yann Duval

Chief,a.i. Trade Policy and Facilitation Section, United Nations ESCAP
Dr. Duval led the preparation of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2017 on "Channelling Trade and Investment into Sustainable Development", launched at UN ESCAP in October this year. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Duval has conducted research and delivered technical assistance... Read More →
avatar for Matthias Helble

Matthias Helble

Senior Economist, Co-Chair, Research Department, Asian Development Bank Institute
Matthias Helble is Senior Economist and Co-Chair of the Research Department at ADBI. His research interests include international trade, health and climate change. His research has been published in prominent scientific journals, books and flagship reports of international organizations... Read More →
avatar for Frans lammersen

Frans lammersen

principal administrator, OECD
Frans Lammersen is Principal Administrator with the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) since 1997. In the Development Co-operation Directorate that services the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) he is, inter alia, responsible for the committee’s work... Read More →
avatar for Guido Gustavo Porto

Guido Gustavo Porto

Professor, University of La Plata
Guido Gustavo Porto is a Professor of Economics at Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) in Argentina. Previously he was an Economist at the Research Department of the World Bank. He obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University in 2002. Professor Porto’s research... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

9:00am GMT-03

A New Paradigm for Trade Policy: Trumpism and Challenges to the Multilateral Trading System

The impetus of multilateral trading system was formed to overcome the outbreak of protectionism in the 1930s and its severe scarring effects. With the expansion of membership over last six decades, it has transformed into the current system, represented by the World Trade Organization. The positive contribution of the WTO in trade liberalization has been well-acknowledged, especially in terms of setting out rule-based global trading system and leading the participation of heterogeneous economies at various development levels in it. According to the WTO, the volume of trade has increased two-and-a-half times since the launch of the WTO. Such explosive increase of global trade is believed to have created better opportunities for faster ecnomic growth, higher levels of job creation, and poverty reduction across countries.

Despite the success and achievements realized so far, the current multilateral trading system has confronted significant challenges. Sluggish progress and repeated delays of the Doha Round negotiations in consequence have failed to provide proper venues to explore new trading rules in a fast-evolving global economic environment. At the same time, the rise of protectionist sentiment and corresponding trade-restrictive actions across countries since the global financial crisis pose another challenge along with slow eeconomic recovery, stagnated trade growth and widening income inequality. In spite of numerous evidence of positive benefits from trade, escalating dissatisfaction towards trade liberalization puts the pursuit of trade liberalization and economic integration on the defensive as populist backlash against trade prevails even among the world’s leading economies.

Notwithstanding such widely-accepted consensus that we need to break the current political stalemate and move forward in pursuit of trade liberalization, the answer to how to elicit international cooperation for it under the current multilateral trading system does not seem so clear.

In this session, we first would like to assess the achievements and the challenges of the multilateral trading system, especially in the context of current economic environment. Then we will explore all the possible options for the changes of the current multilateral trading system and ways to enhance the international cooperation in trade liberalization.

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Moderator
avatar for Taeho Bark

Taeho Bark

President, Lee&Ko Global Commerce Institute and Former Minister for Trade
Taeho Bark is currently President of Lee&Ko Global Commerce Institute and Professor Emeritus of Seoul National University. Professor Bark served Minister for Trade of the Korean government (2011-2013). Dr. Bark was also in the race for the DG position of the WTO. He served the Chairman... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Chul Chung

Chul Chung

Vice President, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Chul Chung is Vice President of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy in charge of the Department of International Trade. He is Vice Chair of the Korea National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (KOPEC) and Vice President of the Korean Association of Trade... Read More →
avatar for Simon Evenett

Simon Evenett

Professor, University of St. Gallen
Simon J. Evenett is Professor of International Trade and Economic Development, and for the past 5 years has also been Academic Director of the MBA, at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He is also the coordinator of the independent trade policy watchdog Global Trade Alert... Read More →
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →
avatar for Danny Leipziger

Danny Leipziger

Professor of International Business & Int’l Affairs, The George Washington University
Danny Leipziger is Professor of International Business and International Affairs, George Washington University, and Managing Director, the Growth Dialogue, a network dedicated to examining the issues of sustainable and shared economic growth. He is former Vice President of the Poverty... Read More →
avatar for Jin Kyo SUH

Jin Kyo SUH

Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Jin Kyo SUH is an adjunct professor of the U.S. –Korea Institute at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University in the Washington, D.C. Dr. Suh is also a senior research fellow of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). He... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

9:00am GMT-03

Importance of cross-border data flows for international trade
The session will show importance of data and data flows to trade and development; how to address privacy and other legitimate concerns while enabling cross-border data flows (eg, APEC CBPR model).

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Moderator
avatar for Mark Wu

Mark Wu

Assistant Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Mark Wu is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Law School, where he teaches international trade and international economic law. He serves as a Faculty Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He works with a number of organizations on trade-related... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Nicholas Bramble

Nicholas Bramble

Public Policy Counsel, Google
Nicholas Bramble is the Deputy Head of Global Trade Policy at Google, where he has worked since 2013. Prior to joining Google he was a Presidential Innovation Fellow, and served as a lecturer and director of the Law and Media Program at Yale Law School. He filed amicus briefs in Golan... Read More →
avatar for Sebastián Cabello

Sebastián Cabello

Director, GSMA regional office in Latin America
Sebastián is the director of GSMA regional office in Latin America, responsible for representing and leading GSMA activities in the region. Sebastián has been working at the GSMA since 2006 on mobile broadband and spectrum issues in developing countries, based in Latin America... Read More →
avatar for Torbjorn Fredriksson

Torbjorn Fredriksson

Chief, ICT Policy Section, UNCTAD
Mr. Torbjörn Fredriksson is the Chief of the ICT Policy Section at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He is responsible for the Information Economy Report (IER) and UNCTAD’s work on ICT sector development, ICT Policy Reviews, e-commerce development and ICT measurement... Read More →
avatar for Robert Koopman

Robert Koopman

Chief Economist and Director, Economic Research and Statistics Division at the WTO
Robert Koopman is the Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division at the WTO. Bob provides the Secretariat and Member Countries with analysis and information that promotes a deeper understanding of trade and trade policy's role in economic growth... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

10:45am GMT-03

Making trade work for gender equality: From evidence to action
Establishing clear links between trade policy and overarching goals, including gender equality and women's economic empowerment, is critical to contribute to making trade a tool for sustainable development.  Closing gender gaps in the economic domain will not only advance women's economic empowerment but also support progress towards achieving the SDGs.
Trade policy is not gender neutral. The distributional outcomes of trade vary between women and men. Moreover, women are not a homogenous group and, therefore, they are differently impacted by trade depending on their income, position in the labour market, educational level, ethnicity, etc. If trade policies are designed without taking into account their gender-specific outcomes, these policies risk magnifying existing gender gaps.
There are at least three ways for making trade policy more gender sensitive. The first one is to complement the assessment of the risks and benefits of trade policy for a country as a whole with an analysis of its potential impacts on those who risk being "left behind", including women and girls. Such an ex-ante gender impact assessment may lead to the re-thinking of planned trade reforms, may point to the need for accompanying measures, or may indicate the need for scaling up the trade measures because of their expected positive impact.  UNCTAD has developed a methodological approach for the ex-ante gender impact assessment of trade reforms, the Trade and Gender Toolbox, and has successfully tested it in East Africa. The second way to make trade policy more responsive to the specific need of women is to include gender considerations in the text of the trade measures, including trade agreements. Recently, gender issues have started to be addressed in specific trade and gender chapters of trade agreements. This is for instance the case of the  Chile-Uruguay and Canada-Chile FTAs.  
Finally, a third way to make trade policy more gender sensitive points to the need of ensuring policy coherence between trade and other policies and an enabling environment at all levels. For instance, developing countries' participation in GVCs have created large-scale employment and skill development opportunities for women. Such opportunities have, however, been accompanied by some risks that need to be addressed by appropriate flanking measures.

Additional information on the event and related documents

UNCTAD events on the margins of the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference

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Moderator
avatar for Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Chief Executive, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ (@RMelendezOrtiz) is co-founder of ICTSD and has been its Chief Executive since 1996. Previously, he co-founded and was General Director of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Quito). He has represented Colombia as a negotiator in several multilateral fora, including as permanent delegate of Colombia... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alicia Bárcena

Alicia Bárcena

Executive Secretary, UNECLAC
Alicia Bárcena is the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) where she previously held the positions of Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division. Prior to her time in ECLAC, Alicia... Read More →
avatar for François-Philippe Champagne

François-Philippe Champagne

Minister of International Trade, Canada
François-Philippe Champagne was elected the Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice-Champlain on October 19, 2015. A few weeks later, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance of Canada, a position he held until January 10, 2017, when he was appointed Minister... Read More →
avatar for Isabelle Durant

Isabelle Durant

Deputy Secretary-General, UNCTAD
Ms. Isabelle Durant (Belgium) took office as Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD on 3 July 2017. Ms. Durant had a distinguished career in Belgian and European politics. She held the offices of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Energy and Senator in the Belgian Government... Read More →
avatar for H.E. Terhi Hakala

H.E. Terhi Hakala

Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations Office
Ambassador Hakala was appointed Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations Office, WTO and other international organizations in Geneva in September 2016. Prior to that she served as Director-General of the Department of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the... Read More →
avatar for Rodolfo Nin Novoa

Rodolfo Nin Novoa

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uruguay
Rodolfo Nin Novoa was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay in March 2015. He was formerly Vice President of Uruguay from 2005 to 2010. As a senator during the period 1999-2004 and 2010-2015, he presided several Parliament Commissions. Prior to his public career, Chancellor... Read More →
avatar for Oscar Stenström

Oscar Stenström

State Secretary to the Minister, EU Affairs and Trade
Oskar Stenström is State Secretary to the Minister for EU Affairs and Trade, Mrs. Ann Linde, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Sweden with the responsibility for EU affairs, trade policy, EU single market as well as promotion of trade, investment and Sweden. From 2014 to 2016... Read More →
avatar for Simonetta Zarrilli

Simonetta Zarrilli

Chief of the Trade, Gender and Development Programme, UNCTAD
Simonetta Zarrilli is the chief of the Trade, Gender and Development Programme of UNCTAD and the organization's Gender Focal Point. Under her leadership, the Programme provides analytical and policy support to member countries on the gender implications of trade policy, and trains... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 10:45am - 12:10pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

10:45am GMT-03

Real Market Access for Real LDC Services Exports - Smartening up the Tools

The future of trade lies in services, and LDCs export many of them. But clearly, not nearly enough. LDCs must have a strong services industry. Without LDCs effectively participating in the world of value chains, servicification and automation, the integrity of the world trading system is in peril. The 2011 LDCs Services Waiver, as much as various FTA negotiations involving services, shifted focus on market access for services, particularly from LDCs. While many other issues including infrastructure, national regulation, financing, business know how and others obviously affect the ability of LDCs to export services, market access in target markets matters greatly.

LDC service providers, wherever they operate, tend to confirm that regulatory, tax, discriminatory treatment and classical market access issues operate as significant, sometimes formidable - and yet avoidable - obstacles to their bona fide trade. The 2011 LDC Services Waiver offers WTO Members the possibility to grant preferences to services imports from LDCs. Since 2013 a process of “operationalization” has been under way. As of 2015 twenty-four WTO Members, including all developed and several developing countries, have detailed their preferences for LDC services through notifications to the WTO. The effective value of the preferences for LDC services exports is under discussion.

UNCTAD has commissioned four pilot studies on what LDCs services and service providers need, whether waiver preferences address this need, and what more can and should be done. This session provides an opportunity for an early discussion in the broader context of market access for LDC services – under GATS; FTAs and unilateral preferences.

UNCTAD events on the margins of the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference

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Moderator
avatar for Hannes Schloemann

Hannes Schloemann

Director, WTI Advisors
is a Director of WTI Advisors Ltd. (Oxford/Geneva), a professional advisory firm focused on trade policy, law and economics, and a Partner with MSBH Bernzen Sonntag Rechtsanwälte. Hannes advises governments, their missions, businesses, NGOs and IGOs on trade law and policy, from... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Meen Bahadur Bishwakarma

Meen Bahadur Bishwakarma

Minister for Commerce, Government of Nepal
Mr. Meen Bahadur Bishwakarma, Minister for Commerce, Government of Nepal, has been serving as Central Working Committee member of Nepali Congress Party, the oldest active democratic political party of Nepal, for 8 years. He is also the President of Nepal Dalit Sangha (a national level... Read More →
avatar for H. E. Dr Bekele Buldao

H. E. Dr Bekele Buldao

Minister of Trade, Ethiopia
Discussant
avatar for H. E. Mr. Sultan Chouzour

H. E. Mr. Sultan Chouzour

Ambassador of Comoros to the United Nations and Head of Delegation to the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11)
Discussant
avatar for Hadil Hijazi

Hadil Hijazi

Director, WTI Advisors
Hadil Hijazi is a Director of WTI Advisors Ltd. (Oxford/Geneva), a specialized provider of advisory services on trade law, economics and policy. She advises governments, international organisations, NGOs and others on trade and economic policy. Her practice focuses on trade policy... Read More →
avatar for H. E. Mr. Joffre Van-Dunem Junior

H. E. Mr. Joffre Van-Dunem Junior

Minister of Trade, Angola
Discussant
avatar for Mukisa Kituyi

Mukisa Kituyi

Dr. Mukisa Kituyi is UNCTAD's seventh Secretary-General. Before joining UNCTAD in 2013, Mr. Kituyi was Chief Executive of the Kenya Institute of Governance, and Fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.. Mr. Kituyi was a member of a team of experts advising the East... Read More →
avatar for H. E. Ms. Amelia Anne Kyambadde

H. E. Ms. Amelia Anne Kyambadde

Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Uganda
Discussant
BM

Billy Maijani

First Secretary (Trade), Permanent Mission of Zambia
avatar for H. E. Mr. Tefo Mapesela

H. E. Mr. Tefo Mapesela

Minister of Trade and Industry, Lesotho
Discussant
avatar for H. E. Mr. Henry Mussa

H. E. Mr. Henry Mussa

Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Malawi
Discussant
avatar for H. E. Mr. Bary Emmanuel Rafatrolaza

H. E. Mr. Bary Emmanuel Rafatrolaza

Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreing Affairs in charge of Cooperation and Development, Madagascar
Discussant
avatar for Pan Sorasak

Pan Sorasak

Minister of Commerce, Cambodia
avatar for Teppo Tauriainen

Teppo Tauriainen

Director General for Trade, Ministry for Foreign Affairs at Sweden
Mr Tauriainen has been Director General for Trade in Sweden since September 2017. Prior to this assignment, Mr Tauriainen was Deputy Director General and Head of the Americas Department, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, a position he held between 2017-2014. Previously, he served... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

10:45am GMT-03

The Sustainability Map: driving innovation and building sustainable supply chains
To advance and encourage sustainable trade, all actors in supply chains, from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to large multinational companies, as well as governments, must be involved. The session will present innovative approaches that help empower upstream value-chain actors and connect them with downstream buyers. Speakers will discuss specifc case studies from Latin America and beyond that address issues such as traceability, market inefficiencies, the need for capacity building and harmonization of voluntary sustainability standards, and how to make inclusive trade the norm.  

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Moderator
avatar for Roxana Saravia

Roxana Saravia

Traceability Manager, GS1 Argentina
Roxana Saravia is a Systems Engineer received at the National Technological University in Buenos Aires. She works at GS1 Argentina and is Traceability Manager for GS1 Latam, she holds positions of increasing responsibility in business development, technologies and innovations.She... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Gabriel Amaro Alzamora

Gabriel Amaro Alzamora

Executive Director, Asociación de Gremios Productores Agrarios del Perú (AGAP)
Industrial Engineer from the National University of Engineering – UNI, MBA from the Private University of Applied Sciences – UPC and from the IEDE of the European University of Madrid. He is the Executive Director of the Association of Peruvian Agrarian Producers Guilds – AGAP... Read More →
avatar for Rafael Florez

Rafael Florez

CEO, Logyca
Rafael Flórez holds an Administration degree from the Universidad Externado of Colombia. For 12 years he held important positions in the real sector, which gave him a broad vision of the issues faced by companies in different sectors in Colombia. He has been the CEO of LOGYCA / ASSOCIATION... Read More →
avatar for Silvia Seperack Gamboa

Silvia Seperack Gamboa

Director, Commercial Office of Peru in Argentina
avatar for Arancha González

Arancha González

Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
Arancha González has served as Executive Director of ITC, the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, since September 2013. Before joining ITC, Ms. González was Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013... Read More →
avatar for Paulina Nazal

Paulina Nazal

General Director of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile
Paulina Nazal has a Commercial Engineering Degree (Business administration) from the University of Chile and a Masters in Applied Economics from New York University. Academically, she has taught economics at the Universidad Diego Portales and at the Institute for International Studies... Read More →
avatar for Monica Rubiolo

Monica Rubiolo

Head Trade Promotion, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO
Monica Rubiolo is Head of Trade Promotion at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since August 2016. She leads SECO’s efforts to foster trade in developing countries that is socially responsible, environmentally friendly, inclusive and thereby sustainable. This... Read More →
avatar for Dominik Ziller

Dominik Ziller

Director-General for International Development Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Dominik Ziller heads the Directorate-General for International Development Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. His responsibili¬ties include the European Union's development cooperation, the United Nations, the World Bank Group, the regional... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

10:45am GMT-03

Work and Inclusion in the Age of Disruption
Trade patterns and policy will be transformed by the exponential technology revolution. In this session, we will map the disruptive technologies poised to redefine global trade map and analyze their trade impact and policy implications.

We are living the early stages of the most radical technology revolution in the history humanity. The technology tsunami is powered by exponential technologies such as ubiquitous computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, blockchain, digital biology, nanotechnology and renewable energy. These technologies will radically change production and trade patterns.

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Moderator
avatar for Ignacio Peña

Ignacio Peña

Founder, Surfing Tsunamis
Es especialista en innovación y estrategia, asesor y speaker internacional. Es fundador de Surfing Tsunamis, una catalizadora de iniciativas orientadas a la innovación transformadora. Es Faculty de Singularity University, Lecturer del Wharton School y fue seleccionado Bold Innovator... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Gustavo Beliz

Dr. Gustavo Beliz

Director, Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL)
Lawyer from the University of Buenos Aires with postgraduate studies in the London School of Economics (LSE), United Kingdom. Current Director of the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with focus on... Read More →
avatar for Alejandro Melamed

Alejandro Melamed

Founder and CEO, Humanize Consulting
Internationally recognized speaker, consultant and expert in the fields of strategy and disruptive innovation in HR, future of work, leadership, talent and employer brand. I have a background of 25+ years in senior executive and consulting positions in leading multinational and national... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

12:25pm GMT-03

Plenary: The Future of the Global Trade System and the WTO
The current complex system of regulatory frameworks governing global trade and investment, largely based on principles, norms and agreements negotiated in the context of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO, is characterised by tensions. In addition to electoral politics and public reactions to advancing global integration efforts, there are fundamental shifts in business models and rapidly evolving and disruptive technologies creating unprecedented opportunities for wealth, wellbeing and development, but also fueling anxiety. This uncertainty is further exacerbated by the twin global public policy challenges posed by climate change and the unsustainable use of natural resources.
This high-level plenary seeks to determine if the WTO and its Members are prepared for these profound changes, and allows top policymakers, intergovernmental organisations and business to share their views on possible ways to harness the WTO and the rest of the global trade system to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Moderator
avatar for Soumaya Keynes

Soumaya Keynes

Soumaya Keynes writes for the print edition and the Free Exchange blog. Before joining The Economist Soumaya did research on the public finances and pensions at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an economic research institute. Before that Soumaya worked in the Banking and Credit... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Antoni Estevadeordal

Antoni Estevadeordal

Manager, Trade and Integration Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Antoni Estevadeordal is the Manager of the Integration and Trade Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He has expertise in trade policy, economic integration and regional cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Asia-Pacific and Europe. He coordinates IDB’s... Read More →
avatar for Arancha González

Arancha González

Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
Arancha González has served as Executive Director of ITC, the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, since September 2013. Before joining ITC, Ms. González was Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013... Read More →
avatar for Susanne Hyldelund

Susanne Hyldelund

State Secretary for Trade/Ambassador, MFA, Denmark
avatar for Mukhisa Kituyi

Mukhisa Kituyi

Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Mukhisa Kituyi, of Kenya, who became UNCTAD's seventh Secretary-General on 1 September 2013, has an extensive background as an elected official, an academic, and a holder of high government office. He also has wide-ranging experience in trade negotiations, and in African and broader... Read More →
avatar for Susanna Malcorra

Susanna Malcorra

Chair, MC11
Ms. Susana Malcorra was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Argentine Republic from December 2015 to July 2017. After her resignation as Foreign Minister, she was appointed by President Macri as Government Advisor. Minister Malcorra holds a degree in Electronics Engineering... Read More →
avatar for Rufus Yerxa

Rufus Yerxa

President, National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC)
Ambassador Rufus Yerxa is President of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), a trade association of over 200 companies dedicated to improving the competitiveness of U.S. industry on world markets. Mr. Yerxa has more than three decades of experience as a lawyer, diplomat, U.S... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 12:25pm - 1:20pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1:30pm GMT-03

Using the WTO and the Trade System to Discipline Fossil Fuel Subsidies for Climate Mitigation
A recent IMF study places global fossil fuel subsidies at US$5.3 trillion, or 6.5% of global GDP. Among a range of negative societal effects, such subsidies boost greenhouse gas emissions and further spur climate change, undermining parallel efforts made by the international community. Political developments over the past few years, including in the G20, the G7, the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement on climate change, show an increasing recognition of the need to put an end to these perverse subsidies. However, it has proven difficult to move from high-level declarations into concrete action. Trade policy, and more precisely the WTO, could play an important role in this regard. This session seeks to shed light on the impact of fossil fuel subsidises on the environment and will discuss if and how the WTO could become equipped to effectively discipline these subsidies. 

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Moderator
avatar for Ingrid Jegou

Ingrid Jegou

Senior Associate, ICTSD
Ingrid Sidenvall Jegou is a Senior Associate with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, ICTSD. Prior to this, she was Director for Climate, Energy and Natural Resources in ICTSD and served in the senior management team. Ms Sidenvall Jegou holds a Masters... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for James Bacchus

James Bacchus

Senior Counselor, ICTSD
James Bacchus is Senior Counsellor at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). He is also Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Susanne Dröge

Dr. Susanne Dröge

Senior Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs
Susanne Dröge is a Senior Fellow in the Global Issues Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. Susanne is specialised in energy, climate and international economics and has a long-standing work experience on trade and environment... Read More →
avatar for Michael Ewing-Chow

Michael Ewing-Chow

Professor, National University of Singapore
Prof Michael Ewing-Chow is the WTO Chair at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS). He has a First Class Honours degree in law from NUS and a Masters from Harvard Law School. Michael worked in Allen & Gledhill before joining NUS where he started the first World... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Hillman

Jennifer Hillman

Professor of International Law, Georgetown Law School
Jennifer Hillman is a professor of international law at Georgetown Law School in Washington DC, teaching and writing about international trade, investment and economic law. She has had a distinguished career in public service, having served as a member of the WTO Appellate Body, as... Read More →
avatar for Robert Howse

Robert Howse

Lloyd C. Nelson Professor of International Law, New York University School of Law
Robert Howse received his BA in philosophy and political science with high distinction, as well as an LLB with honors, from the University of Toronto, where he was co-editor-in-chief of the Faculty of Law Review. He also holds an LLM from Harvard Law School. Howse has been a visiting... Read More →
avatar for Matias Ignacio Pinto Pimentel

Matias Ignacio Pinto Pimentel

Legal Adviser, Ministry of Finance of Chile
Matias Ignacio Pinto Pimentel is a Chilean lawyer from the Concepcion University School of Law, where he graduates with honors. He also holds a LLM in Environmental Law from the School of Law of the University of Chile. He is currently working as a Legal Advisor in the Green Climate... Read More →
avatar for Hubert René Schillinger

Hubert René Schillinger

Director, Geneva Office, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Former: Coordinator, FES’ Dialogue on Globalization Programme; Country director, FES – Namibia; Country director, FES – South Africa; Country director, FES – Morocco; Project leader, FES – Senegal, FES. Master’s Degree in Economics, University of Konstanz (Germany); Advanced... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

1:30pm GMT-03

Making Trade More Equitable: How A Progressive Trade Agenda Could Share the Benefits of Trade Labour, Women and Indigenous Peoples

CIGI’s International Law Research Program (ILRP) is delighted to host this panel as a Knowledge Partner of the ICTSD’s Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

We have entered a moment of profound challenge for open societies.  Overall poverty levels worldwide are diminishing with deepened trade, notably but not exclusively in China.  Yet inequality within and across states is at record levels.  The benefits of trade do not appear to have been evenly distributed, such that many workers consider themselves to be trade’s losers forced to bear the individualized risk of economic restructuring, and women and Indigenous peoples wonder if they will ever experience firsthand the benefits of participating in international trade. The dawning awareness of the uneven distribution of the benefits of international trade stokes fear and cynicism about globalization and calls for more trade protectionism.

This panel calls attention to the perceived mismatch between existing provisions in trade agreements, and the concerns about the impact of trade on labour and employment, and the need to ensure that global trade is inclusive of women and indigenous peoples. This panel will review existing trade agreements. It will consider the potential to enhance participation of labour, women and Indigenous peoples, and reinforce progressive social values while promoting global economic growth.  It is particularly concerned to canvass the important role that might be played by individual states in fostering an inclusive trade agenda and progressive trade adjustment measures.  It seeks to push thinking further, to consider whether and how regional economic agreements might become sites through which to rethink distributive justice.  It will bring together leading experts on the interface between human rights and labour law, trade law, and development to discuss how core social values of inclusion, equity and the right to decent work might better be embedded in regional and multilateral economic agreements.

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Moderator
avatar for Oonagh Fitzgerald

Oonagh Fitzgerald

Director of the International Law Research Program, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)
As director of CIGI’s International Law Research Program, Oonagh Fitzgerald established and oversees CIGI’s international law research agenda, which includes policy relevant research on issues of international economic law, environmental law, intellectual property law and innovation... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Adelle Blackett

Adelle Blackett

Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development, Faculty of Law, McGill University
Adelle Blackett is Professor of Law & Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development at the Faculty of Law, McGill University, and directs the Labour Law and Development Research Laboratory. She holds a B.A. from Queen’s, LL.B. & B.C.L. from McGill, and LL.M... Read More →
avatar for Valerie Hughes

Valerie Hughes

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Queen's University
Valerie Hughes is a CIGI senior fellow and an adjunct assistant professor of law at Queen’s University. An expert in international trade law and international dispute settlement, she served as director of the Legal Affairs Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2010... Read More →
avatar for Alvaro Santos

Alvaro Santos

Professor, Georgetown Law
Alvaro Santos is Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Advancement of the Rule of Law in the Americas (CAROLA) at Georgetown University. He teaches and writes in the areas of international trade, economic development, transnational labor law and the future of NAFTA... Read More →
avatar for Risa Schwartz

Risa Schwartz

Risa Schwartz International Law
Risa Schwartz is a sole practitioner, focusing on international law and the intersections between trade law, environmental law and Indigenous rights. Risa was formerly a senior research fellow with CIGI's International Law Research Program. In that role, she researched law and policy... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

1:30pm GMT-03

The Digital Economy And Innovative Partnerships: New Opportunities For Sustainability Standards

Sustainability standards and the increasing demand of consumers in both developed and developing countries for sustainably produced goods and services offer great potential for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, they can have an adverse effect if producers and exporters from developing countries are able to meet these requirements.

As sustainability demands increase, producers and firms of all sizes and at all levels and locations along the supply chain need to adjust and monitor practices in order to meet consumer expectations and their own Corporate Social Responsibility principles. Through sustainability standards, producers in developing countries can access new and/or more remunerative markets, whilst investing in better social and environmental production conditions. When they are successful, standards can help create decent work and economic growth. However, compliance to standards and technical regulations is especially challenging for small and medium enterprises (SME) from developing countries.

As standards proliferate, the needs for harmonization, conformity assessment and transparency become more evident. Effective partnerships and cooperation mechanisms can importantly contribute to better aligning the sustainability and trade agendas. These include cooperation between the private and the public sector, among standards setting organizations and between international organization working on trade and sustainability issues.

The session seeks to bring together different perspective to these issues and discuss what forms effective cooperation should take to ensure that sustainability standards contribute to sustainable trade and support the SDGs.

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Moderator
avatar for Judith Fessehaie

Judith Fessehaie

Trade and Development Manager, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
Judith Fessehaie is a Programme Manager and leads the ICTSD’s Trade and Development programme. Before joining ICTSD, Judith worked as a senior consultant at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), Johannesburg, in the area of industrial development... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Maria Amparo Alban

Maria Amparo Alban

Executive Director, ACDC Consulting
María Amparo Albán is a lawyer and consultant based in Quito. Studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University (PUCE) and has a master degree in economic law from the Andean University Simon Bolivar (UASB).  Has studied international trade negotiation at Harvard and Columbia University... Read More →
avatar for Alicia Frohmann

Alicia Frohmann

Consultant, CEPAL/ECLAC
Alicia Frohmann is a trade policy and export promotion expert, with experience both as a policy maker in Chile and as a consultant to developing countries. She was Technical Coordinator of Chile’s free-trade negotiations with the US, and Director of ProChile, the international trade... Read More →
avatar for Rupa Ganguli

Rupa Ganguli

Founder and CEO, Inclusive Trade Ltd.
Rupa is the Founder and CEO of Inclusivetrade.com, a revolutionary new online retail B2C platform, that provides consumers with the ability to ‘#ShopByImpact’. While empowering small businesses, artists and female entrepreneurs, inclusivetrade.com connects tradition with technology... Read More →
avatar for Ulrich Höcker

Ulrich Höcker

Ulrich Höcker is currently Head of the Sustainable Economic Development and Digitization Section at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Department of Sector and Global Programmes. His focus is on Economic Policy, SME promotion as well as Local and Regional... Read More →
avatar for Marjorie Lopes Miranda

Marjorie Lopes Miranda

Marjorie Miranda is Project Coordinator of Sustainability and Social Responsibility at CECAFÉ – Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council. Responsible for implementing and managing programs addressed to socio-environmental matters with the goal to improve sustainability within the coffee... Read More →
avatar for Luiz Eduardo Rielli

Luiz Eduardo Rielli

Senior Sustainable Development and International Cooperation Advisor
Luiz Rielli is a senior sustainable development and international cooperation expert and consultant. He is currently working with strategy, governance and innovation approaches in order to implement the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and Africa. He has worked as corporate sustainability... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

1:30pm GMT-03

Sustainable International Agricultural Trade and the Key Role of Latin America
Latin America plays a major role in the challenge of providing food for the 9 billion people who will inhabit the world by 2050. One of the key issues related to this challenge is how the region will meet these demands for increased agricultural production and at the same time improve and disseminate a productive system that respects the environmental and cultural diversity and wealth present in its territory.

The path to be taken to address the challenge of feeding more people and save more resources might be indicated by the Agenda 2030, the commitments made in the Paris Agreement and the growing development of Voluntary Standards of Sustainability. However, it is up to us as a region to discuss and establish how we are going to tread this path towards a sustainable international agricultural trade.

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Moderator
avatar for Pedro de Camargo Neto

Pedro de Camargo Neto

Vice President, Sociedade Rural Brasileira
Agriculture

Speakers
avatar for Rodrigo C A Lima

Rodrigo C A Lima

Director general, Agroicone
international trade and sustainable development
avatar for Camila Sande

Camila Sande

International Negotiations, Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock
Agriculture, Trade, International Negotiations, Sustainable Develpment
LH

Luis Henrique Barbosa da Silva

Brazil´s Agricultural Attaché, World Trade Organisation
avatar for Vera Helena Thorstensen

Vera Helena Thorstensen

Professor Dr., Center for Global Trade and Investment Studies
International trade, trade regulation, digital trade



Tuesday December 12, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

3:15pm GMT-03

Making Trade Work for Climate Action - a Role for the G20

Sixteen of the seventeen warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, with 2016 being the hottest of them. Sea ice is melting and oceans are heating, leading to rising sea levels which threaten the very existence of many low-lying countries. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense.

In 2015, the world’s nations came together under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and agreed to limit average global temperature increases to well below 2˚C. Yet, country pledges currently don’t add up; a recent report by UNEP indicates that we are heading for a temperature increase of 3.2 ˚C by the end of the century.

Against this backdrop, it is crucial that every effort is made to scale up climate action. Trade has an important role to play in this regard. For example, as manufacturing of clean energy goods is currently concentrated in a handful of countries, trade is the means to allow all countries to access these technologies and transition to a cleaner energy mix. Moreover, international trade can make it possible to favour consumption of low carbon goods. Yet, trade barriers remain in the area and there is no coherent strategy for addressing them.

At the same time, cooperation on international trade rules is crucial so as not to undermine countries’ efforts as they implement their climate policies. For example, carbon pricing policies could, if unmatched, distort competitiveness, ultimately to the detriment of climate action. There is also a need to address climate policies in the transport sector, which have obvious trade links.

How to go about generating momentum for action on trade and climate change? Attempts to even host a discussion about climate change in the WTO don’t garner enough support to make it onto the agenda, and the UNFCCC is similarly reluctant to address trade issues.

The G20 is a promising avenue for taking up this work, at a time when collaboration, dialogue and experience sharing are much needed. The recent G20 Hamburg summit indeed showed that there is a need for alignment as well as ambition on both trade and on climate.

This event will present and discuss a White Paper currently being prepared by ICTSD, building on a year-long effort to conceive an agenda on trade and climate change for the G20, generously supported by the KR Foundation.

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Moderator
avatar for Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz

Chief Executive, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ (@RMelendezOrtiz) is co-founder of ICTSD and has been its Chief Executive since 1996. Previously, he co-founded and was General Director of Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Quito). He has represented Colombia as a negotiator in several multilateral fora, including as permanent delegate of Colombia... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for James Bacchus

James Bacchus

Senior Counselor, ICTSD
James Bacchus is Senior Counsellor at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). He is also Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central... Read More →
avatar for Axel Berger

Axel Berger

Senior Researcher, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Dr. Axel Berger is a researcher at the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, DIE), Department for World Economy and Development Finance, Bonn. He holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Duisburg-Essen and a Master degree from... Read More →
avatar for Gary Horlick

Gary Horlick

Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Gary N. Horlick
Gary Horlick is an international trade attorney based in Washington, D.C. He is listed by Euromoney/Institutional Investor and Who’s Who Legal as one of the world’s highest-ranked international trade lawyers, and is ranked in the top tier by Chambers.Horlick is former international... Read More →
avatar for Beatriz Nofal

Beatriz Nofal

ECO-AXIS, Founding Partner, Former Argentina G20 Sherpa 2017
I am an expert on economc develoment, trade, investment, innovation. I have been an "entrepreneur" in public policy in all these areas. I am at presently developing and participating in a number of international initiatives in these fields.During the first semester of 2017, I held... Read More →
avatar for Hon David Parker

Hon David Parker

Attorney-General Minister for Economic Development, Environment, and Trade and Export Growth Associate Minister of Finance
Born in Roxburgh in 1960, David grew up in Dunedin and has a BCom (Acctg) and LLB from the University of Otago.He was a litigation and managing partner in law firm Anderson Lloyd and was a co-founder of the Dunedin Community Law Centre. David is an experienced CEO and company director... Read More →
avatar for Richard Samans

Richard Samans

Member of the Managing Board, World Economic Forum
Mr Samans is a Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He is responsible for the Forum’s action and policy oriented multistakeholder initiatives on major global challenges, relations with intergovernmental and civil society organizations and portfolio of... Read More →
avatar for Peter Thomson

Peter Thomson

Special Envoy for the Ocean of the UN Secretary General, United Nations
Ambassador Peter Thomson is a senior Fijian diplomat who was recently appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as his Special Envoy for the ocean, seeking to galvanize efforts to protect the world's seas, including through the implementation of SDG14, the Sustainable Development... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

3:15pm GMT-03

Enforceability of Trade and Investment Rules That Support Sustainability: The Case of Dispute Settlement Mechanisms
Dispute settlement provisions are an essential enforcement element of regional trade agreements (RTAs). In light of the different paces of rule-making at the multilateral level and regional level, dispute settlement mechanisms (DSMs) under RTAs are likely to become increasingly relevant in the future as litigious fora for addressing trade differences among trading partners, particularly with respect to WTO-extra obligations. However, the use of RTA DSMs has been fairly limited – a phenomenon that may be explained by political, cultural and technical factors, as well as case-specific elements. This session seeks to identify the reasons behind the limited use of regional DSMs, and discusses systemic options for enforcing trade and investment rules that support sustainability. Additionally, the session seeks to explore possibilities for convergence and coherence-building between RTAs and the multilateral trading system in the area of dispute settlement.

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Moderator
avatar for Alejandro Jara

Alejandro Jara

Former Deputy Director General, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the WTO
Alejandro Jara was born in 1949 in Santiago, Chile. He obtained his law degree from the University of Chile in 1973. He pursued graduate studies at the Law School, University of California at Berkeley (1975–1976). In 1976, he joined the Foreign Service of Chile where he specialized... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Michelle Ratton Sanchez Badin

Michelle Ratton Sanchez Badin

Associate professor, FGV School of Law
Professor Michelle Ratton-Sanchez is Pontes Consultant in Brazil. Currently a professor at the Law School of Getulio Vargas Foundation (DireitoGV/ FGV-EDESP), in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and researcher at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Research (CEBRAP), for the project entitled... Read More →
avatar for Henry Gao

Henry Gao

Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University; Dongfang Scholar Chair Professor, Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade; Advisory board, WTO Chairs Program. Former: Deputy Director, East Asian International Economic Law and Policy Program, University of Hong Kong; Law Instructor... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Hillman

Jennifer Hillman

Professor of International Law, Georgetown Law School
Jennifer Hillman is a professor of international law at Georgetown Law School in Washington DC, teaching and writing about international trade, investment and economic law. She has had a distinguished career in public service, having served as a member of the WTO Appellate Body, as... Read More →
avatar for Joost Pauwelyn

Joost Pauwelyn

Professor of International Law, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Joost Pauwelyn is Professor of International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and Co-Director of the Institute’s Centre for Trade and Economic Integration. He is also the Murase Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown Law Center in... Read More →
avatar for Amy Porges

Amy Porges

Principal, Porges Trade Law PLLC
Amy Porges advises companies, governments and trade associations on how to use WTO law, trade agreements and investment rules to solve complex market access problems.  She represents governments and stakeholders in negotiations and litigation in the WTO and free trade agreements... Read More →
avatar for Geraldo Vidigal

Geraldo Vidigal

Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam
Geraldo Vidigal is Assistant Professor in Public International Law and International Trade Law at the University of Amsterdam. He received his PhD in International Law from the University of Cambridge and has worked as a Dispute Settlement Lawyer at the WTO Legal Affairs Division... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

3:15pm GMT-03

Integrating Trade and Investment Policymaking - Lessons From RTAs
In a globalised world increasingly dependent on global value chains, trade and investment flows have become more and more complementary and mutually reinforcing. To support new business realities, countries are having to deepen the content of trade agreements by addressing a broader set of policy areas, and by negotiating provisions which may fall outside of the WTO mandate. Investment is one such policy area- provisions are no longer mainly negotiated via bilateral investment treaties (BITs), though such agreements continue to proliferate; rather, investment is increasingly addressed through non-BIT international investment agreements, and integrated into regional trade agreements in chapter or provision form. This session aims to understand the main trends in terms of how countries are integrating trade and investment concerns, and whether there are any lessons which could be replicated by other regional actors, or at the multilateral level.

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Moderator
avatar for Antoni Estevadeordal

Antoni Estevadeordal

Manager, Trade and Integration Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Antoni Estevadeordal is the Manager of the Integration and Trade Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He has expertise in trade policy, economic integration and regional cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Asia-Pacific and Europe. He coordinates IDB’s... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for H.E. Mr. Manuel Caldeira Cabral

H.E. Mr. Manuel Caldeira Cabral

Minister of Economy, Portugal
H.E. Mr Manuel Caldeira Cabral was born in Lisbon in 1968. He is a Member of the Socialist Party elected by Braga since October 2015; Professor of Economics at the University of Minho since 2004; Writes a biweekly column in Jornal de Negócios, since 2007. He represented the Socialist... Read More →
avatar for Iza Lejárraga

Iza Lejárraga

Head of Unit and Senior Economist, Investment Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Iza Lejárraga is Head of Investment Policy Linkages Unit in the Investment Division of the Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs of the OECD, where she currently leads analytical work on trade and investment, regional trade agreements, connectivity, and inclusive growth... Read More →
avatar for Douglas Lippoldt

Douglas Lippoldt

Chief Trade Economist, HSBC Global Research, HSBC
Douglas Lippoldt is Chief Trade Economist in HSBC Global Research, based in London. He joined HSBC in August 2014 coming from the OECD in Paris where he worked for 22 years in various roles as a senior economist. Prior to that, he served seven years as an international economist with... Read More →
avatar for Karl P. Sauvant

Karl P. Sauvant

Resident Senior Fellow at Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) and Senior Fellow at ICTSD
Karl P. Sauvant is Resident Senior Fellow, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute at Columbia University; ICTSD Senior Fellow – Investment; Lecturer-in-Law, Columbia Law School; Guest Professor, Nankai University... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Huiyao (Henry) WANG

Dr. Huiyao (Henry) WANG

Founder and President, Center for China and Globalization (CCG)
Dr. Huiyao (Henry) WANG is the Founder and President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG), the largest independent think tank in China. Chinese Premier appointed him as a Counselor of China State Council. He is the Vice Chairman of China Western (Overseas) Re-turned Scholars... Read More →
avatar for James Zhan

James Zhan

Senior Director, Investment and Enterprise, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
PhD in International Economics. Three decades of experience in the areas of trade, investment, technology, business facilitation and enterprise development, including directing policy research, multilateral consensus-building and technical assistance to over 160 governments. Led the... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

3:15pm GMT-03

Development and E-commerce: Rules and Cooperation Beyond Buenos Aires
ICTSD Dialogue on Digital trade and Development. Placing the development dimension in the centre of the trade discussion. The actvity would focuss on the possible elements for a  development package in the context of e-commerce negotiations.Through the proposed dialogue, participants would be able to undertand the reasons behind the reluctance of some WTO to further engage in the area of ecommere, and identify possible solutions or alternatives to this issue.  In particular, how could a quid pro quo between obligations/commitments, and technical assistanse and capacity building operate in the field of ecommerce. In doing so, the experience under the Trade Facilitation Agreement and its "new deal" on development may be considered.

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Moderator
avatar for Andrew Crosby

Andrew Crosby

Managing Director, ICTSD
Andrew Crosby is part of ICTSD's Senior Management team and leads ICTSD’s substantive work on the new economy (digital, services, innovation) and implications for sustainable development. He contributes to ICTSD's work on global governance, G20 and emerging economies, and has previously... Read More →
avatar for Felipe Sandoval

Felipe Sandoval

Senior Advisor, Trade Law and Negotiations, ICTSD
Felipe is now ICTSD's Senior Advisor, Trade Law and Negotiations, having previously been a Lead Negotiator Trade in Services Agreement – TISA 2012-2017. In this capacity, Mr. Sandoval coordinated Chile´s team on a variety of topics ranging from electronic commerce financial services... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alvaro Cedeño

Alvaro Cedeño

Ambassador to the WTO, Permanent Misison of Costa Rica to the WTO
Álvaro Cedeño Molinari was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the WTO on February 2015. Among his responsibilities he holds his country’s representation at the OECD, in Paris, France, during the current process of accession to the membership.Previously... Read More →
avatar for Felipe Hees

Felipe Hees

Counselor, Mission of Brazil to the WTO
Felipe Hees is a Brazilian diplomat with a strong background in trade negotiations. He holds a Ph.D. in Brazilian History from the University of Brasília, Brazil, and a Master?s degree in Economics from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. For professional reasons, wrote... Read More →
avatar for Constance Chidiogor Ikokwu

Constance Chidiogor Ikokwu

Communications Director to the Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment Nigeria
Constance Chidiogor Ikokwu is an accomplished Journalist, Analyst and Communications Strategist. She is the Strategy and Communications Adviser at the Nigerian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. She previously held the same position at the Ministry of Finance     Her... Read More →
avatar for Marion Jansen

Marion Jansen

Chief Economist, International Trade Centre
Marion Jansen is the Chief Economist of the International Trade Centre (ITC), responsible for ITC’s flagship publication “SME Competitiveness Outlook” and the institution’s recent publications on e-commerce. She also oversees ITC’s work on export strategies. Marion previously... Read More →
avatar for Pierre Sauvé

Pierre Sauvé

Senior Trade Specialist, World Bank Group
Trade and Development
avatar for Hong Song

Hong Song

Senior Fellow, Assistant Director General, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences(CASS), Institute of World Economics and Politics(IWEP).
Dr. Hong Song is Assistant director and Senior Fellow of Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). He also teaches as a Professor at the Gradual School of CASS. He was awarded as an “Expert of the New Century”by Chinese Ministry... Read More →
avatar for Kati Suominen

Kati Suominen

Founder & CEO, Nextrade Group
Founder & CEO of Nextrade Group, a data and research company that helps governments and Fortune 500s optimize public policies and investments in trade and ecommerce worldwide; Founder of TradeUp Capital Fund, a growth capital platform for globalizing tech companies acquired by Nextrade... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

5:00pm GMT-03

Rapid e-Trade Readiness Assessments: A tool to help the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) drive economic growth, inclusive trade and job creation from e-commerce
Assessing the opportunities and challenges that the Least Developed Countries (LDC) face towards e-commerce is frequently hampered by a lack of reliable information.  Many LDCs don’t have the information or technology available to assess and evaluate e-commerce and trade in the digital economy in their countries, which is a barrier to selecting priority areas for advancements and further development.

This session will present the findings of new Rapid e-Trade Readiness Assessments of the LDCs conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The assessments by UNCTAD provide the current e-commerce and digital trade situation in selected countries and serve as a tool for LDCs to identify opportunities, barriers and relevant policy measures. A number of these assessments are being conducted under the umbrella of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) partnership.

These assessments report on the current state of e-commerce, offering fresh insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by LDCs on infrastructure and services, trade logistics and trade facilitation, payment solutions, legal and regulatory frameworks, e-commerce skills development and access to financing.

The session will begin with opening remarks and a short presentation by UNCTAD of the latest findings from the Rapid e-Trade Readiness Assessments. The session will then explore key challenges and opportunities of e-commerce in LDCs through a panel discussion with representatives of LDCs, donors, EIF, UNCTAD and the private sector.

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Moderator
avatar for Shamika N. Sirimanne

Shamika N. Sirimanne

Director Division on Technology and Logistics, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Ms. Shamika N. Sirimanne is Director, Division on Technology and Logistics (DTL), UNCTAD.Ms. Sirimanne has extensive experience in development policy, research and technical cooperation gained from international organizations, national governments, think tanks and universities. She... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ratnakar Adhikari

Ratnakar Adhikari

Executive Director, Executive Secretariat for the EIF, EIF
Mr Ratnakar Adhikari has been the Executive Director of the Enhanced Integrated Framework at the World Trade Organization since October 2013.Prior to this assignment, Mr Adhikari was the Chief Executive Director of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), a Kathmandu-based... Read More →
avatar for Isabelle Durant

Isabelle Durant

Deputy Secretary-General, UNCTAD
Ms. Isabelle Durant (Belgium) took office as Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD on 3 July 2017. Ms. Durant had a distinguished career in Belgian and European politics. She held the offices of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Energy and Senator in the Belgian Government... Read More →
avatar for Chandra Kumar Ghimire

Chandra Kumar Ghimire

Secretary, Ministry of Commerce
Mr. Chandra Kumar Ghimire, the Secretary of Ministry of Commerce, Government of Nepal, has been serving for more than 25 years in various roles and capacities. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Secretary at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the National... Read More →
avatar for Peseta Noumea Simi

Peseta Noumea Simi

Chief Executive Officer
avatar for Teppo Tauriainen

Teppo Tauriainen

Director General for Trade, Ministry for Foreign Affairs at Sweden
Mr Tauriainen has been Director General for Trade in Sweden since September 2017. Prior to this assignment, Mr Tauriainen was Deputy Director General and Head of the Americas Department, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, a position he held between 2017-2014. Previously, he served... Read More →
avatar for Dominik Ziller

Dominik Ziller

Director-General for International Development Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Dominik Ziller heads the Directorate-General for International Development Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. His responsibili¬ties include the European Union's development cooperation, the United Nations, the World Bank Group, the regional... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

5:00pm GMT-03

Agri-food Trade, Climate Change and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development is shaping a framework for global governance that responds to a complex and interconnected global landscape. With the SDGs, the Agenda recognizes that trade is a key element in addressing fundamental issues such as food security, nutrition and the promotion of sustainable agriculture (SDG 2), healthy lives and wellbeing (SDG 3) economic growth (SDG 8), inequality (SDG 10), ocean, seas and marine resource (SDG 14), and global partnership for sustainable development (SDG 17).

Agricultural trade plays a major role in contributing to global food security, ensuring stable supplies and contributing to price stability. Moreover, agricultural trade is paramount in enabling conditions for facilitating structural transformation, promoting growth, mobilizing different sources of finance, and fostering job creation and social inclusion. Yet, while climate change is expected to have marked impacts on  agricultural production and food security, may also lead to significant trade disruptions in the short run (as a consequence of extreme weather events) and to long-term changes in agricultural trade patterns. Climate change will therefore affect all aspects of food security: availability, access, stability and utilization, and will challenge our efforts to ensure enough safe, nutritious, and affordable food for all.

However, while climate change might lead to serious production losses in many parts of the world, trade can help countries adapting to disruptions in food supply triggered by climate change. In other words, trade may be a key adaptation measure for addressing the consequences of climate change. Trade can play a stabilizing role in compensating for changes in production across regions, and in reducing food price volatility. Therefore, policy makers need to consider how to formulate, coordinate and implement climate change, agriculture and trade policies to meet the sustainability objectives of the 2030 Agenda.

This panel will investigate the relation between agriculture, food security, trade and climate change. The discussion will focus on how policy makers should balance trade and domestic policy measures that can address the challenges posed by climate change, while supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular food security, nutrition and promotion of sustainable agriculture.

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Moderator
avatar for Christophe Bellmann

Christophe Bellmann

Senior Resident Research Associate, ICTSD
Christophe BELLMANN is a Senior Resident Research Associate at ICTSD with more than 20 years of experience working on international trade negotiations and policy making from a sustainable development perspective. Mr. Bellmann joined ICTSD in 1998, first as Programme Officer for Outreach... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Daniela Alfaro

Daniela Alfaro

Former Latin America Editor of Puentes - ICTSD, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)
Daniela Alfaro is an Economist and holds a Master´s Degree from the National University of Uruguay (UDELAR). Former Editor for Latin-American of Puentes/ ICSTD. She currently advises the Minister of Agriculture of Uruguay on WTO issues. Daniela is Professor of Trade and Agricultural... Read More →
avatar for David Blandford

David Blandford

Professor Emeritus, Penn State University
David Blandford is professor emeritus of agricultural and environmental economics at the Pennsylvania State University. He was formerly a division director at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris and a professor at Cornell University. He has twice served... Read More →
avatar for Ekaterina Krivonos

Ekaterina Krivonos

Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ekaterina Krivonos leads the work of the Trade Team in the Trade and Markets Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Her experience is focused on analyzing trade policy issues in relation to agricultural markets and food security... Read More →
avatar for Martin Piñeiro

Martin Piñeiro

Director, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Agriculture, development and trade
avatar for George Rapsomanikis

George Rapsomanikis

Senior Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
George Rapsomanikis is a Senior Economist in the FAO Trade and Markets Division. His research focuses on issues related to food price volatility, food security, and small-scale agriculture development. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Reading and has authored over fifty journal... Read More →



Tuesday December 12, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5:00pm GMT-03

The Future of the Global Trade Order
This session will present a new book edited by Carlos Primo Braga and Bernard Hoekman. The volume brings together essays on key challenges confronting the global trading system, taking a business perspective.

Other authors present during se session are:
Giorgio Sacerdoti, Professor, Bocconi University
Simon J. Evenett, Professor, University of St. Gallen
Clemens Boonekamp, Associate Partner, IDEAS Centre
Nick Ashton-Hart, Associate Fellow, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Eduardo Pérez Motta, Partner, Agon Economía, Derecho y Estrategia

Watch this session on YouTube

Moderator
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Carlos A. Primo Braga

Carlos A. Primo Braga

Professor, Fundacao Dom Cabral
Carlos A. Primo Braga is an Adjunct Professor, Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil. He is also a Visiting Professor at IMD, Switzerland.  He was Professor of International Political Economy at IMD and Director of the Evian Group (2012-15). Before that he was the Special Representative... Read More →
avatar for Andreas Esche

Andreas Esche

Director Program Shaping Sustainable Economies, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Andreas Esche is Director of the Shaping Sustainable Economies Program and Member of the Management Committee at the Bertelsmann Stiftung in Gütersloh. He joined the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 1996 and was responsible for the Economics and Social Policy department. He then headed the... Read More →
avatar for Douglas Lippoldt

Douglas Lippoldt

Chief Trade Economist, HSBC Global Research, HSBC
Douglas Lippoldt is Chief Trade Economist in HSBC Global Research, based in London. He joined HSBC in August 2014 coming from the OECD in Paris where he worked for 22 years in various roles as a senior economist. Prior to that, he served seven years as an international economist with... Read More →
avatar for Félix Peña

Félix Peña

Director, Institute of International Trade, ICBC Foundation
Félix Peña is a specialist in international economic relations, international commercial law and economic integration. He held positions at INTAL, the IDB, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was also Undersecretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy of Argentina. He... Read More →
avatar for Diana Tussie

Diana Tussie

Head pf Department, FLACSO
Trade architecture , global trade order



Tuesday December 12, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

5:00pm GMT-03

Building a collaborative global ecosystem to empower and educate SMEs through a global trusted professionalised network

GTPA: The New Global Standard in Expertise-Based Trusted Networks

This session will introduce the Global Trade Professionals Alliance, outline the mandate, organisation and aspirations of the GTPA, and link the GTPA trusted network to the professionalization of trade practice.

We will explore the GTPA as a powerful channel for the dissemination of best practices and contributions to economic inclusion and development through trade, as well as charting a path for GTPA as an important complement to the work of international organisations, trade promotion organisations, policy bodies and others working to enable trade around the globe.

The GTPA’s competency-based approach, rooted in a global ISO standard, adds a level of discipline to the development of expertise in all aspects of international trade, and in so doing, uniquely links areas like trade management, supply chain practices, legal, regulatory and compliance skills, together with trade-related financing and international development.

Watch this session on YouTube

Speakers
avatar for Deborah Elms

Deborah Elms

Executive Director, Asian Trade Centre
The Asian Trade Centre works with governments and companies to design better trade policies for the region. Dr. Elms sits on the International Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance and is Chair of the Working Group on Trade Policy and Law. She is... Read More →
avatar for Martin Furlong

Martin Furlong

Director of International Programs and Professor of International Business, Universidad de Belgrano
Martin Furlong is an international trade and business internationalization specialist with multidisciplinary competences in strategic management, market development, policy, and law.As Director of International Relations for Universidad de Belgrano (UB), Argentina, Martin is leading... Read More →
avatar for Alexander R. Malaket

Alexander R. Malaket

President, OPUS Advisory Services International Inc.
Trade, Trade Finance and SCF and International Development
avatar for Lisa Mcauley

Lisa Mcauley

Executive director, GTPA
Lisa McAuley is Executive Director of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance (GTPA)Lisa has worked in international trade for over ten years, most recently as CEO of the ECA has seen the organisation focus on ground-breaking research and advocacy projects that promote and enhance... Read More →
avatar for Shanker Singham

Shanker Singham

Director of Economic Policy and Prosperity Studies, Legatum Institute
International trade, competition and regulatory policy
avatar for Tristram Travers

Tristram Travers

Technical Director, Global Trade Professionals Alliance
Tristram Travers is a consultant with over 30 years of management experience in both the public and private sectors, 20 of those in senior leadership positions. In the private sector he led corporate export businesses through high levels of growth and organisational change including... Read More →




Tuesday December 12, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

6:30pm GMT-03

Book Launch “Future of the Global Trade Order”
This session will present a new book edited by Carlos Primo Braga and Bernard Hoekman. The volume brings together essays on key challenges confronting the global trading system, taking a business perspective.

Speakers
avatar for Nick Ashton-Hart

Nick Ashton-Hart

President of the Assembly, IDEA
Nick Ashton-Hart recently concluded several years as the senior Geneva-based full-time representative from the technology sector. He has participated in multilateral policy development since 1992 and international digital trade policy for the last several years. He’s presently a... Read More →
avatar for Carlos A. Primo Braga

Carlos A. Primo Braga

Professor, Fundacao Dom Cabral
Carlos A. Primo Braga is an Adjunct Professor, Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil. He is also a Visiting Professor at IMD, Switzerland.  He was Professor of International Political Economy at IMD and Director of the Evian Group (2012-15). Before that he was the Special Representative... Read More →
avatar for Andreas Esche

Andreas Esche

Director Program Shaping Sustainable Economies, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Andreas Esche is Director of the Shaping Sustainable Economies Program and Member of the Management Committee at the Bertelsmann Stiftung in Gütersloh. He joined the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 1996 and was responsible for the Economics and Social Policy department. He then headed the... Read More →
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →
avatar for Douglas Lippoldt

Douglas Lippoldt

Chief Trade Economist, HSBC Global Research, HSBC
Douglas Lippoldt is Chief Trade Economist in HSBC Global Research, based in London. He joined HSBC in August 2014 coming from the OECD in Paris where he worked for 22 years in various roles as a senior economist. Prior to that, he served seven years as an international economist with... Read More →
avatar for Félix Peña

Félix Peña

Director, Institute of International Trade, ICBC Foundation
Félix Peña is a specialist in international economic relations, international commercial law and economic integration. He held positions at INTAL, the IDB, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was also Undersecretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy of Argentina. He... Read More →
avatar for Diana Tussie

Diana Tussie

Head pf Department, FLACSO
Trade architecture , global trade order



Tuesday December 12, 2017 6:30pm - 8:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

6:30pm GMT-03

Global Trade Professional Alliance (GTPA) Launch cocktail
You are cordially invited to join us for the official launch of the GlobalTrade Professionals Alliance (GTPA), the global umbrella organisationdriving professional certification in all dimensions of internationaltrade, that will evolve into the premier trusted network of tradeexperts in the world.The launch announcement will be part of a memorable, interactivecocktail reception that will include a virtual journey around the world in one evening!

Key note address by Hon Steven Ciobo MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment- Australia.


ABOUT GTPA
The GTPA aims to raise the ethical standard for trade and tradeprofessionals by raising awareness of global best practice.

EVENT OVERVIEW
Launching as part of the biennial Trade and SustainableDevelopment Symposium, organised by the International Centre forTrade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and held alongside theWTO ministerial conference we are delighted to launch an initiativethat will drive a trusted network powering Global Supply Chains andtheir Communities.The GTPA aims to set the global standard for certification ofindividuals and institutions in the professional practice of traderelateddisciplines, strengthening the health, sustainability andmanagement of supply chains through competency and expertise,benefitting global buyers, their MSME supplier communities andthe ecosystem of service providers and others that support supplychains reaching around the globe.

Speakers
avatar for Alexander R. Malaket

Alexander R. Malaket

President, OPUS Advisory Services International Inc.
Trade, Trade Finance and SCF and International Development
HS

Hon Steven Ciobo MP

Parliamentary serviceElected to the House of Representatives for Moncrieff, Queensland, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016.Ministerial appointmentsParliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer from 18.9.13 to 23.12.14.Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs from... Read More →




Tuesday December 12, 2017 6:30pm - 8:30pm GMT-03
Trading Room
 
Wednesday, December 13
 

9:00am GMT-03

Ensuring Sustainability through a Nexus Approach: Climate Change, Trade and Food Security
Ensuring sustainable food productions systems, and consumption, for a growing world population is a formidable challenge. This is particularly important in the context of climate change, wherein climate vagaries have affected crop production adversely in different parts of the world. Sustainable food production and consumption is the key to address such issues so as to achieve food security in the face of climate change. For this, a multi-pronged strategy has to be developed which encompasses climate resilient agriculture practices, integrated supply chains, free and fair trade in food products, value addition and above all an enabling and integrated policy framework to realise sustainable food systems.
The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected that without adaptation, a two-degree increase in temperature would adversely affect crops like rice, wheat, maize in tropical and temperate regions. It has also projected a reduction in renewable surface water as well as ground water resources and has predicted a significant reduction in marine biodiversity in sensitive areas. To adapt to climate change and build resilient crop production systems, there is a need for targeted research, awraness-raising and capacity building, and multi-stakeholder approaches to better understand the nexus among food and agriculture, climate change and trade policies at the national, regional and multilateral levels.  
Sustainable consumption would require minimising post-harvest losses through efficient supply chain management and value addition. There is an increasing demand for processed foods both in developed and developing countries. Yet, mostly bulk commodities are exported from developing countries as they lack necessary infrastructure, skills, technology and investment. Assured market for agricultural commodities (both bulk and processed) will have implications on farmer’s income which will ensure household food security and enable them to integrate newer technologies.
The nexus among food and agriculture, climate change and trade has to be recognised in the relevant international negotiations also, particularly in the WTO and UNFCCC. While being fully conscious of the mandates of these organisations, the policy makers and negotiators should be able to understand the linkages, for example, between the negotiations in the WTO and UNFCCC, to have climate-aware, trade-driven and food-security enhancing outcomes. Such outcomes, complemented by coherent and synergetic policies at the national and regional levels will lead to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Moderator
avatar for Rashid S Kaukab

Rashid S Kaukab

Executive Director, CUTS International, Geneva
Rashid S. Kaukab joined CUTS International, Geneva at its beginnings in 2008. Previously he worked for the South Centre, the Pakistan Mission to the UN and WTO in Geneva and as a Senior Expert for UNCTAD. He holds a MBA from Yale University, US and an MA in Economics from Karachi... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Christopher Onyanga Aparr

Christopher Onyanga Aparr

Ambassador/Permanent Representative, Permanent Misssion of Uganda
Currently, Amb. Christopher Onyanga Aparr is the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations and other International Organizations; to World Trade Organization, in Geneva and Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation Council in Bern.Since taking up this position... Read More →
avatar for David Vivas Eugui

David Vivas Eugui

Legal Officer, UNCTAD
Mr. Vivas is Legal Officer, at the Trade, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Branch, DITC at UNCTAD. He was also Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Trade Negotiations and Commercial Diplomacy Branch at the same organization; Deputy Programmes Director at ICTSD... Read More →
avatar for Marion Jansen

Marion Jansen

Chief Economist, International Trade Centre
Marion Jansen is the Chief Economist of the International Trade Centre (ITC), responsible for ITC’s flagship publication “SME Competitiveness Outlook” and the institution’s recent publications on e-commerce. She also oversees ITC’s work on export strategies. Marion previously... Read More →
avatar for Jane S Nalunga

Jane S Nalunga

Executive Director, Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda
Jane Seruwagi Nalunga is an expert on trade, tax and investment related issues. She has more than twenty years of experience in policy research, analysis and advocacy and has authored a number of policy oriented studies and articles. Jane sits on a number of national policy making... Read More →
avatar for Shishir Priyadarshi

Shishir Priyadarshi

Director, Development Division, WTO
Shishir Priyadarshi, a senior Director of the World Trade Organization, is an international expert on Trade and Development. He heads the Development Division of the WTO, whose mandate is to facilitate work on all trade related developmental issues in the organization.A significant... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

9:00am GMT-03

Regulatory Cooperation and Coherence: The New Frontiers in Trade and Investment
While the WTO includes some disciplines regarding regulatory policies, most notably in the area of mandatory product standards (SPS/TBT), most of the rules and mechanisms that determine how to collaborate on regulatory policies takes place outside the ambit of trade frameworks. In recent years however, there has been an increasing systemising of regulatory cooperation through trade and investment frameworks, particularly through the modern deep integration agreements. This session seeks to identify innovative provisions and mechanisms for regulatory cooperation that are emerging from recent bilateral and regional trade agreements. Additionally the session will explore the implications of these practices on both members and non-members, and assess whether any of these new practices could be harvested for the multilateral level, or by other regional actors.  

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Moderator
avatar for Jacqueline Musiitwa

Jacqueline Musiitwa

Founder and Managing Partner at Hoja Law Group and Governing Board Member at ICTSD
Jacqueline Musiitwa is the Founder of Hoja Law Group and a former Mo Ibrahim Foundation Fellow at the World Trade Organization. Musiitwa’s focus is on the importance of good governance and rule of law, and on improving Africa’s standing in the world. Musiitwa has served as an... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for William Burke-White

William Burke-White

Professor and Director, Perry World House, Unversity of Pennsylvania
William Burke-White is a professor of law at Penn Law School and inaugural director of Perry World House. An international lawyer and political scientist, Burke-White researches and writes about the relationships between law and politics in international affairs. His current scholarship... Read More →
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →
avatar for Denis Redonnet

Denis Redonnet

Director for WTO, Legal Affairs and Trade in Goods, Directorate General for Trade in the European Commission
Denis Redonnet is the Director for "WTO, Legal Affairs and Trade in Goods" in the Directorate General for Trade in the European Commission. Previously he headed the WTO division and then the Strategy division. Before that, he served as Deputy chief of staff to EU Trade Commissioner... Read More →
avatar for Xavier Seuba

Xavier Seuba

Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Centre d’Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle (CEIPI), University of Strasbourg
Xavier Seuba is Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Centre d’Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle (CEIPI) of the University of Strasbourg, France. At CEIPI he is Academic Coordinator and Judicial Training Manager, and coordinates the CEIPI-BETA Project on the... Read More →
avatar for Sherry Stephenson

Sherry Stephenson

Senior Fellow ICTSD, International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
PhD in International Economics, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva; MA in Economics, New York University. Expert in the area of international trade policy, particularly services trade. Senior Fellow, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development... Read More →
avatar for Rufus Yerxa

Rufus Yerxa

President, National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC)
Ambassador Rufus Yerxa is President of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), a trade association of over 200 companies dedicated to improving the competitiveness of U.S. industry on world markets. Mr. Yerxa has more than three decades of experience as a lawyer, diplomat, U.S... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

9:00am GMT-03

Building an Intelligent Tech & Trade Initiative - ITTI: Augmented Intelligence & the Future of Global Trade
ITTI is designed to examine how cutting-edge technologies –such as blockchain and augmented intelligence– will allow international trade policies, transactions and negotiations to advance, amid countering deglobalization forces.

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Moderator
avatar for Gabriel Petrus

Gabriel Petrus

Executive Director, ICC Brasil
Gabriel Petrus is the Executive Director of ICC Brazil. Previously, he was Senior Public Policy Associate at Uber Technologies. Between 2013 and 2016, he was the Director of Political Risk Analysis of Barral M Jorge, a consulting firm on international trade. Previously, he served... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Daniel Feffer

Daniel Feffer

President, ICC Brasil
Daniel Feffer is the Chairman of ICC, the International Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, and member of the Executive Board of the World Business Organization. He has also been a Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Suzano Papel e Celulose S/A, and President of Instituto Ecofuturo... Read More →
avatar for Daniel Godinho

Daniel Godinho

President Commission on Trade & Investment Policies, ICC Brasil
Daniel Godinho is President of ICC Brasil’s Commission on Trade & Investment Policies. He also serves as the Corporate Strategies Officer at WEG Group Companies. Previously, Godinho served as Foreign Trade Secretary (SECEX) from 2013 to 2016, in addition to several other government... Read More →
avatar for Jan Hoffmann

Jan Hoffmann

Chief Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD
Dr. Jan Hoffmann is Chief Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD. He works as trade facilitation, port and shipping specialist with the Trade Logistics Branch of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva since 2003. Previously, he spent six years with the United Nations... Read More →
avatar for Rebecca Liao

Rebecca Liao

VP of Business Development and Strategy, Skuchain
Rebecca Liao is VP of Business Development and Strategy at Skuchain, a blockchain platform that provides an end-to-end solution for the supply chain. She is also a writer and China analyst. She was a member of Secretary Clinton’s foreign policy team for her 2016 presidential campaign, responsible for Asia trade and economic policy. Rebecca was... Read More →
avatar for Stella Loiacono

Stella Loiacono

Chief Technology Officer IBM, Argentina
Stella Loiacono, CTO for IBM in Argentina and Certified IBM Architect, has over 20 years of experience in the IT market working with customers from Argentina and Latin America. Currently she specializes in emergent technologies like cognitive computing, artificial intelligence and... Read More →
avatar for Marcos Troyjo

Marcos Troyjo

Director, ITTI
Marcos Prado Troyjo is Director of the BRICLab at Columbia University, a Forum on Brazil, Russia, India and China he co-founded with Christian Deseglise. He teaches at Columbia University's SIPA (School of International and Public Affairs) and is a Faculty Associate of Columbia's... Read More →




Wednesday December 13, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

9:00am GMT-03

New Trade Rules for a New Economy
The session will discuss what kinds of trade rules are needed to promote Internet-driven, inclusive trade.

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Moderator
avatar for Gonzalo Navarro

Gonzalo Navarro

Executive Director, Asociación Latinoamericana de Internet

Speakers
avatar for Alvaro Cedeño

Alvaro Cedeño

Ambassador to the WTO, Permanent Misison of Costa Rica to the WTO
Álvaro Cedeño Molinari was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the WTO on February 2015. Among his responsibilities he holds his country’s representation at the OECD, in Paris, France, during the current process of accession to the membership.Previously... Read More →
avatar for Deborah Elms

Deborah Elms

Executive Director, Asian Trade Centre
The Asian Trade Centre works with governments and companies to design better trade policies for the region. Dr. Elms sits on the International Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance and is Chair of the Working Group on Trade Policy and Law. She is... Read More →
avatar for Jacobo Cohen Imach

Jacobo Cohen Imach

Sr VP Legal and Public Affairs, Mercado Libre
Jacobo Cohen Imach is Senior Vice President - General Counsel in charge of Legal and Public Affairs at MercadoLibre.com. He joined MercadoLibre in 1999 as its first lawyer and since then he has been responsible for managing and leading MercadoLibre's global legal team and advising... Read More →
avatar for Maria Teresa Pisani

Maria Teresa Pisani

International Organization, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Maria Teresa Pisani is an economist working at the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. She is currently in charge of the programme on Sustainable Trade Policy and Outreach, which develops policies and standards to facilitate... Read More →
avatar for David Weller

David Weller

Head of Global Trade Policy, Google
David Weller is Head of Global Trade Policy at Google based in Washington, DC.  Prior to joining Google, he was a partner at WilmerHale, where he advised technology and other clients regarding market access barriers, WTO disputes, and trade policy issues.  David previously served... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 9:00am - 10:30am GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

10:45am GMT-03

Agricultural Trade, Employment and Poverty Reduction: Experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean Region
The elimination of poverty and the promotion of inclusive economic growth are among the key goals of Agenda 2030, wherein trade is recognized as one of the “means of implementation” for achieving the goals. With the agriculture sector accounting for over 70% of employment and 30% of GDP in the poorest countries of the world, trade in agro-food products has the potential to significantly impact rural employment, incomes and poverty, and thus, the achievement of these goals.
This session aims to discuss the linkages between trade, employment and poverty reduction in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, where some countries are major exporters of agricultural commodities to world markets, while for others food imports remain important. In particular, the focus will be on:
• The role of agricultural support and social protection policies: agriculture is often among the most sensitive sectors in countries at all levels of development. Therefore, market incentives in agriculture are often influenced by agricultural support and trade policy measures, which affect the levels of production and trade of agro-food products, and ultimately, the economic activities through which people derive their livelihoods. Complimentary policies such as social protection and labour market measures are also important determinants of the employment and incomes.  
• Implications of the globalization of agricultural value chains: with production processes increasingly fragmented and reorganized across different countries, trade is increasingly taking place within firms or as part of supply chains organized by lead firms. In this setting, standards (both public and private) in end markets, along with the level of competition along these value chains become important determinants of labour market outcomes and levels of poverty.    
Following a brief introduction by the moderator, the panelists will be asked to address these key issues through a series of guiding questions.

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Moderator
avatar for Georgios Mermigkas

Georgios Mermigkas

Economist, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
Georgios joined the FAO Trade and Markets Division in May 2016, as a member of the trade team, dealing with issues related to trade and food security and trade agreements. He has previously worked for the FAO Geneva Office as a trade and food security officer, monitoring the WTO negotiations... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Julio Berdegué

Julio Berdegué

Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Food and Agriculture Organization
Dr. Julio A. Berdegué is FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and theCaribbean since the 22nd of April 2017.Dr. Berdegué, a national of Mexico, holds a Ph.D. in Social Science from Wageningen University, TheNetherlands, and a Master of Science... Read More →
avatar for Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla

Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla

Senior Research Fellow, Head of Latin America and Caribbean Programme, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
 Dr. Eugenio Díaz-Bonilla holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics obtained from the Department of Economics at The Johns Hopkins University. He has been a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute since april 2012, focusing... Read More →
avatar for Arancha González

Arancha González

Executive Director, International Trade Centre
Arancha González has served as Executive Director of ITC, the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, since September 2013. Before joining ITC, Ms. González was Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013... Read More →
avatar for Ekaterina Krivonos

Ekaterina Krivonos

Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ekaterina Krivonos leads the work of the Trade Team in the Trade and Markets Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Her experience is focused on analyzing trade policy issues in relation to agricultural markets and food security... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

10:45am GMT-03

E-commerce: Maximising Benefits Through Regional and Multilateral Rules
The Internet has revolutionised communication, information, and innovation, opening up new areas for economic growth, prospects for employment and opportunities for participation in global markets by individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and businesses all around the globe. In the run-up to Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11), convergence has emerged across proposals with regard to the development potential of e-commerce, and the need for an enabling environment to ensure inclusive growth. As WTO members explore options to advance a discussion on e-commerce in the WTO, regional trade agreements (RTAs) that already include rules for digital trade can provide valuable lessons and key precedents to build upon. The session seeks to provide information and analysis on the most recent developments in the area of e-commerce rulemaking under RTAs, and contrast those against the scope and nature of the current efforts under the WTO. In addition, this session seeks to identify gaps in e-commerce rulemaking between the WTO and RTAs and to bring forward possible measures to address this challenge.

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Moderator
avatar for Ady Beitler

Ady Beitler

Integration and Trade Senior Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank
Ady is an Integration and Trade Senior Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank, where he leads technology-based projects in trade facilitation, such as ConnectAmericas.com and the Argentine Trade Single Window. Ady also coordinates the Americas Business Dialogue’s Digital... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Julian Braithwaite

Julian Braithwaite

Ambassador / UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, UK Mission to the WTO
Julian Braithwaite is the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva including the WTO. Mr Braithwaite joined the FCO in 1994. He spent much of his early career dealing with the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, first in the FCO during... Read More →
avatar for Jake Colvin

Jake Colvin

Executive Director, Global Innovation Forum
As Vice President for Global Trade and Innovation at the National Foreign Trade Council, Jake drives key advocacy initiatives around digital trade, innovation and the environment and the Council's engagement in trade bodies including the WTO and APEC. As Executive Director of NFTC's... Read More →
avatar for Ibrahima Nour Eddine Diagne

Ibrahima Nour Eddine Diagne

Managing Director, GAINDE 2000
M. DIAGNE Ibrahima Nour Eddine is currently the Managing Director of GAINDE 2000 and Rapporter for Africa of United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UNCEFACT). M. DIAGNE have more than 20 years in experience on trade facilitation and paperless trade... Read More →
avatar for Deborah Elms

Deborah Elms

Executive Director, Asian Trade Centre
The Asian Trade Centre works with governments and companies to design better trade policies for the region. Dr. Elms sits on the International Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance and is Chair of the Working Group on Trade Policy and Law. She is... Read More →
avatar for Felipe Henriquez

Felipe Henriquez

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile
Felipe Henríquez is a lawyer who graduated from the Universidad de Concepción. He is currently working in the Departamento Servicios, Inversiones y Transporte Aéreo (SERINTA, Services, Investment and Air Transport Department) where he has been responsible for the negotiations related... Read More →
avatar for Amy Porges

Amy Porges

Principal, Porges Trade Law PLLC
Amy Porges advises companies, governments and trade associations on how to use WTO law, trade agreements and investment rules to solve complex market access problems.  She represents governments and stakeholders in negotiations and litigation in the WTO and free trade agreements... Read More →
avatar for Mark Wu

Mark Wu

Assistant Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Mark Wu is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Law School, where he teaches international trade and international economic law. He serves as a Faculty Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. He works with a number of organizations on trade-related... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

10:45am GMT-03

Leveraging eTrade For All as a Vehicle For Sustainable Development
The event, jointly organized by eTrade for all partners, the Business for eTrade Development contributors and the Friends of E-Commerce for Development, will address, among others, the need for more and better assistance to developing countries to enable them to engage in and benefit from e-commerce. This session will focus on ways to leverage existing tools to facilitate access to information and resources in relevant policy areas. Champion-initiatives, good practices, suggestions to harness partnerships shall be the main focus of the discussion.

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Moderator
avatar for Mario Cimoli

Mario Cimoli

Deputy Executive Secretary a. i., UN ECLAC
Mario Cimoli is Deputy Executive Secretary a. i. of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). In 2004, he was appointed co-director (with Giovanni Dosi and Joseph Stiglitz) of two task forces: Industrial Policy and Intellectual Property... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Chiedu Osakwe (Ambassador)

Chiedu Osakwe (Ambassador)

Director General and Chief Negotiator, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN)
His Excellency, Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe is the Chief Trade Negotiator for Nigeria and the Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations. He is the Chairman of the Negotiating Forum for the Continental Free Trade Area Negotiations and its Technical Working Group on... Read More →
avatar for Alberto Calvo

Alberto Calvo

Managing Director Netshoes, President E-Commerce Chamber Argentina, Netshoes + eCommerce Chamber of Argentina
ALBERTO CALVO Managing Director, Netshoes Argentina President, Argentinean Chamber of eCommerce Alberto Calvo is President of the Argentinean Chamber of eCommerce and Managing Director at Netshoes Argentina where he has worked since 2013. Netshoes is the leading sports and lifestyle... Read More →
avatar for Mukhisa Kituyi

Mukhisa Kituyi

Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Mukhisa Kituyi, of Kenya, who became UNCTAD's seventh Secretary-General on 1 September 2013, has an extensive background as an elected official, an academic, and a holder of high government office. He also has wide-ranging experience in trade negotiations, and in African and broader... Read More →
avatar for H.E. Ann Linde

H.E. Ann Linde

Minister of Trade and EU Affairs, Sweden
H.E. Ann Linde is Minister for EU Affairs and Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sweden. Previously, she served as State Secretary to the Minister of Home Affairs Anders Ygeman (2014-2016). She was also Head of the International Unit of the Party of European Socialists (PES... Read More →




Wednesday December 13, 2017 10:45am - 12:15pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

12:25pm GMT-03

Plenary: Latin American Challenges in the New Global Economy

Latin America has gone global. The rapid transition towards a digital economy, the densification of global value chains, and the ever-increasing trade flows, both among Latin American countries and between them and the rest of the world, bring opportunities but also demand improved and accelerated preparation from governments and business sectors alike.

Small and medium-sized enterprises require thoughtful governmental action to better integrate into the new economy. Access to modern infrastructure and effective financing have a significant impact on the development of new business with export potential. On a continent where 70 percent of the labour force, but only 30 percent of its GDP comes from small and medium-sized enterprises, sound regulatory frameworks play a key role in creating appropriate conditions that facilitate engagement in the global economy.

Latin America has a historic opportunity to take a leap forward. Her natural wealth, combined market size, and vocation for integration make her an attractive business partner, particularly for Southeast Asia and Europe, despite her traditional ties with North America.

This high-level plenary will allow top policymakers and business with a particular interest in Latin America to share their views, confront their opinions, and work on common approaches towards the participation of Latin America in the new global economy in a trajectory coherent with the vision embodied in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The discussions will surround the orientation of Latin America in the context of globalisation, whether as a mere spectator or assuming a role as a creative and progressive player. 

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Speakers
avatar for Julio Berdegué

Julio Berdegué

Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Food and Agriculture Organization
Dr. Julio A. Berdegué is FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and theCaribbean since the 22nd of April 2017.Dr. Berdegué, a national of Mexico, holds a Ph.D. in Social Science from Wageningen University, TheNetherlands, and a Master of Science... Read More →
avatar for Elida Bustos

Elida Bustos

Managing Editor of Latin Trade Group
Elida Bustos. Journalist, MA in International Relations, Flacso. Managing editor at Latin Trade magazine since 2011. Previously have led the Spanish language service at Bloomberg News (2000-2010) and was editor in the Spanish desk at Reuters for seven years. My background in journalism... Read More →
avatar for Alicia Bárcena

Alicia Bárcena

Executive Secretary, UNECLAC
Alicia Bárcena is the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) where she previously held the positions of Deputy Executive Secretary and Director of the Environment and Human Settlements Division. Prior to her time in ECLAC, Alicia... Read More →
avatar for Julia Pomares

Julia Pomares

Executive Director, Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC)
Julia Pomares is Executive Director of the Center for the Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth (CIPPEC) since 2015. She previously served as Director of the Program of Political Institutions of CIPPEC, where she focused her research on the conditions of political... Read More →
avatar for Shunko Rojas

Shunko Rojas

Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Production of Argentina
Es abogado de la Universidad de Buenos Aires y Doctor en Derecho de la Universidad de Harvard. Realizó una Maestría en política internacional en la London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE). Desde el BID lideró la creación del Diálogo Empresarial de las Américas... Read More →
avatar for Sean Summers

Sean Summers

Regional Vice President, Mercado Libre
Sean Summers, Regional Vice President at Mercado Libre, is responsible for the Marketplace Business Unit in LatAm and leads the Marketing, Sales and Product teams.   He joined Mercado Libre in 2012 to hold this position.   Before joining Mercado Libre, Sean worked in the United... Read More →

Facilitator
avatar for Alejandra Gallo

Alejandra Gallo

Alejandra Gallo es periodista, Lic. En Ciencias de la Comunicación (UBA), Magister en Periodismo de la Universidad de San Andrés, Grupo Clarín y Universidad de Columbia. Trabajó en las redacciones de los diarios Tiempo Argentino (’80), Extra, El Cronista Comercial y Clarín... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 12:25pm - 1:20pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1:30pm GMT-03

Reforming Perverse Fisheries Subsidies at MC11
An agreement among WTO Members to reform certain harmful fisheries subsidies is one of the most likely substantive outcomes of MC11.  There may also be agreement to build on the results announced at Buenos Aires in further work at the WTO. This session will consider the magnitude and impacts of harmful subsidies provided to the global fishing fleet. It will consider the likely shape of an outcome on this issue, how far the outcome goes in meeting the challenge of collective action on disciplines on fisheries subsidies, and where further work would be needed.

Moderator
avatar for Alice Tipping

Alice Tipping

Programme Manager, Environment and Natural Resources, ICTSD
Alice Tipping is a Programme Manager and leads the ICTSD’s Environment and Natural Resources programme.Prior to joining the ICTSD, she worked as a diplomat and legal adviser in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She has served in New Zealand’s Mission to the... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for William Emerson

William Emerson

Senior Consultant, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division, Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations
William Emerson is a Senior Consultant, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Resources Division at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Prior to joining the FAO Mr Emerson was a senior advisor to the New Zealand Minister of Fisheries (1997-2003). Previously, Mr Emerson... Read More →
avatar for Alejandro Jara

Alejandro Jara

Former Deputy Director General, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the WTO
Alejandro Jara was born in 1949 in Santiago, Chile. He obtained his law degree from the University of Chile in 1973. He pursued graduate studies at the Law School, University of California at Berkeley (1975–1976). In 1976, he joined the Foreign Service of Chile where he specialized... Read More →
avatar for Claire Nouvian

Claire Nouvian

President, BLOOM
Claire Nouvian is an environmentalist dedicated to protecting the ocean and Claire Nouvian is an environmentalist dedicated to protecting the ocean and livelihoods from destructive fishing practices. She is particularly renowned for her commitment to putting an end to deep-sea bottom... Read More →
avatar for Rashid Sumaila

Rashid Sumaila

Professor, The University of British Columbia
Dr. Ussif Rashid Sumaila is Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC Fisheries Centre. He specializes in bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation, and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated... Read More →
avatar for Brendan Vickers

Brendan Vickers

Economic Adviser, International Trade, The Commonwealth Secretariat
Dr Brendan Vickers is Economic Adviser in the Trade, Oceans, and Natural Resources Directorate at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. Previously, he was Head of Research and Policy in the South African Department of Trade and Industry. He also worked in the non-governmental sector... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

1:30pm GMT-03

Reconsideration of Agricultural Themes
The WTO XI Ministerial meeting will be held in Buenos Aires Argentina in December of this year. In Agriculture the Agenda being discussed is mainly a carry-over of the themes that have been on the table for some time. Although there is still room for negotiation on the three pillars the Argentine government and the conversations undergoing in Geneva are giving considerable attention to Domestic Support where it is considered that progress is more likely.
The XI Ministerial meeting will take place within a complex and uncertain international context. Growing sentiments against globalization in many developed countries and increasing political pressure in favor of protectionist policies have deteriorated the trade environment and the possibilities to advance in multilateral negotiation processes
Given this international situation it is unlikely that great progress can be made in the areas of the three pillars. For this reason it seems especially important to make a special effort in the identification of new themes on which a constructive dialogue may be initiated for a more formal consideration in subsequent Ministerial meetings.
Two new themes will be presented and analyzed in the proposed Session; a) Elimination of export restriction in food products and c) Special agreement on environmental standards related to Carbon and other GEIs footprint.

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Speakers
avatar for Eduardo Bianchi

Eduardo Bianchi

Investigador - Profesor, Escuela Argentina de Negocios y Grupo CEO
Food Security
avatar for Gustavo Idigoras

Gustavo Idigoras

Director, Ceagro
Wto agriculture trips sps tbt
avatar for Valeria Piñeiro

Valeria Piñeiro

Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI
Valeria Piñeiro is an Economist in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Her research interests include international trade, development strategies and economic growth, growth linkages and regional dynamics, and sources... Read More →
avatar for Martin Piñeiro

Martin Piñeiro

Director, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Agriculture, development and trade



Wednesday December 13, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1:30pm GMT-03

360° Trade Facilitation: the private sector at the heart of the reform process
Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

With the entry into force of the WTO’s landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), governments are set to accomplish the vital task of transforming the TFA provisions into concrete reforms to be implemented nationally.

Effective engagement and contribution of the private sector is crucial to ensuring the success of trade facilitation and maximizing its impact on economic development and poverty reduction. The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation is at the centre of such efforts.

What lessons can we learn from practical experiences of public-private collaboration around trade facilitation? What are the ways forward?

Two years on from the Alliance’s launch at MC10 in Nairobi, please join us for a discussion on lessons learned from its initial portfolio of projects in countries including Colombia, Vietnam, Kenya, Ghana and Sri Lanka. Practical experiences will be also shared from other participants and ways forward for further leveraging the private sector will be discussed.


Note: This session will be in the form of an interactive workshop with breakout table discussions without interpretation. 

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Moderator
avatar for Philippe Isler

Philippe Isler

Director, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation
Philippe Isler is the Director for the Global Alliance For Trade Facilitation and is based at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. The Global Alliance aims at incubating and delivering trade facilitation projects from the bottom up by leveraging on funding and expertise... Read More →

Speakers
JK

John K. Bang

Head of Sustainability Strategy & Shared Value, A.P. Moller-Maersk
avatar for Virginia Brown

Virginia Brown

Director, Office of Trade and Regulatory Reform, USAID
Virginia Brown is the Director of the Office of Trade and Regulatory Reform at the United States Agency for International Development.   Ms. Brown has over twenty years  experience  in customs, trade policy, and development.  Prior to joining to USAID, she was the Director for... Read More →
avatar for Milena Budmirovic

Milena Budmirovic

Senior Technical Officer, World Customs Organization
Milena is a Senior Technical Officer in the Procedures and Facilitation Sub-Directorate of the World Customs Organization (WCO). Her responsibilities cover the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), including managing the WCO Working Group on the WTO TFA (TFAWG) and cooperation with... Read More →
avatar for Ralph Carter

Ralph Carter

Managing Director, Trade and International Affairs, Fedex Express
BS and JD, Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock; LLM, American Univ. Worked in US Dept of State, as Special Asst. to the US Ambassador to the EU. 2001, joined FedEx, Brussels. Directed FedEx's government affairs activities with the European Commission, Parliament and Council, as well... Read More →
AK

Ambassador K.S. Kumararatne

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the WTO
OL

Olga Lucia Lozano

Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade, Colombia
AN

Anthony Nyame-Baafi

Director for Multilateral, Regional and Bilateral Trade, Ghana
AP

Alex Perkins

Senior Manager, International Government Affairs, FCA US LLC
avatar for Maria Teresa Pisani

Maria Teresa Pisani

International Organization, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Maria Teresa Pisani is an economist working at the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. She is currently in charge of the programme on Sustainable Trade Policy and Outreach, which develops policies and standards to facilitate... Read More →
SP

Steve Pope

VP Customs & Regulatory Affairs, Europe, DHL
avatar for Andreas Schaumayer

Andreas Schaumayer

Deputy Head of Division, Trade and Development, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Germany
Dr. Andreas Schaumayer is deputy head of the trade division at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. He is a trained political scientist and holds a PhD in public administration from University of Constance.
avatar for Amgad Shehata

Amgad Shehata

SVP Strategy & Public Affairs, UPS
WTO TFA ImplementationCross border goods tradeWomen empowered trade
SS

Sacha Silva

Senior Trade for Development Policy Advisor, Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations
avatar for Dominik Ziller

Dominik Ziller

Director-General for International Development Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Dominik Ziller heads the Directorate-General for International Development Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. His responsibili¬ties include the European Union's development cooperation, the United Nations, the World Bank Group, the regional... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

1:30pm GMT-03

Trade, Trade Policy and Economic Transformation
Economic transformation is crucial for the type of growth that reduces poverty, create jobs and is resilient to shocks. But many low-income countries have failed to transform successfully. Trade has nearly always been a key component in those countries that have transformed successfully. This event will unpack the role that trade has played in the process of transformation in a number of countries and regions and discuss how trade policy provisions such as those currently under discussion at the WTO can further contribute.
The Supporting Economic Transformation (SET) at ODI defines economic transformation as the process of moving from low productivity to high productivity activities, either between or within sectors. Trade, or exposure to trade, can increase productivity in existing sectors or firms as well as move resources from inefficient into efficient firms and sectors.
Multilateral trade provisions can help set the right incentives to invest, innovate, produce and trade in sectors with comparative advantage. They can also generate maintain opportunities in new sectors currently affected by global protectionism and other trade distortions. Current discussions at the WTO that might affect ET includes the elimination of subsidies in fishing, tightening disciplines on domestic support of agriculture and further provisions on digital trade and e-commerce.


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Speakers
avatar for Dr. Lucio Castro

Dr. Lucio Castro

Secretary for Productive Transformation, Ministry of Production of Argentina
Lucio Castro is the former Director of Economic Development at CIPPEC. Head of Public Finance and senior economist at the Department of International Trade at the firm Maxwell Stamp PLC in London. Responsible for Macroeconomic analysis and design of macro stock investment portfolio... Read More →
avatar for Patricia Francis

Patricia Francis

Chairman, Trade Facilitation Task Force, Government of Jamaica
Strategic leader in development and trade with combined experience of over thirty years in the private sector, national government and international organisations with a track record of delivering concrete measurable results on mandate within challenging circumstances.Patricia is... Read More →
avatar for Anabel Gonzalez

Anabel Gonzalez

Senior Director, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, The World Bank Group
Anabel González is Senior Director of the World Bank Group’s Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice (from July 2014). In this capacity, she leads a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank Group's global and country agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Maximiliano Mendez-Parra

Dr. Maximiliano Mendez-Parra

International Economic Development Group, Overseas Development Institute
Maximiliano Mendez-Parra is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Economic Development Group, Overseas Development Institute. Max is a trade economist and former trade official in Argentina. He specialises in the analysis of multilateral and regional trade policies in agriculture... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Dirk Willem te Velde

Dr. Dirk Willem te Velde

Principal Research Fellow and Head of International Economic Development Group, SET Programme Director, Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
Dr Dirk Willem te Velde is a Principal Research Fellow and head of the International Economic Development Group at ODI. He is the director of the Supporting Economic Transformation Programme and a Research Leader for the DFID-ESRC Growth Research Programme. He has published widely on trade, investment and economic transformation. He has advised country governments and parliaments in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, and donor agencies such as DFID, European Co... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 1:30pm - 3:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

3:15pm GMT-03

National and International Food Systems, Agricultural Trade and the Challenges Ahead
In the 2014-16 period, some 795 million people were estimated to be undernourished. The Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) represents a key opportunity for governments to take steps towards SDG 2, that of ending hunger and malnutrition, one of the key commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As policies affecting trade and markets are critical to improving food and nutrition security, this session will explore steps governments can take to build on progress realised at previous ministerials. In particular, the session will address how policymakers can contribute to the goals of the 2030 Agenda by fostering more equitable and sustainable markets for food and agriculture.

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Moderator
avatar for Christophe Bellmann

Christophe Bellmann

Senior Resident Research Associate, ICTSD
Christophe BELLMANN is a Senior Resident Research Associate at ICTSD with more than 20 years of experience working on international trade negotiations and policy making from a sustainable development perspective. Mr. Bellmann joined ICTSD in 1998, first as Programme Officer for Outreach... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Julio Berdegué

Julio Berdegué

Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Food and Agriculture Organization
Dr. Julio A. Berdegué is FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and theCaribbean since the 22nd of April 2017.Dr. Berdegué, a national of Mexico, holds a Ph.D. in Social Science from Wageningen University, TheNetherlands, and a Master of Science... Read More →
avatar for Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla

Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla

Senior Research Fellow, Head of Latin America and Caribbean Programme, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
 Dr. Eugenio Díaz-Bonilla holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics obtained from the Department of Economics at The Johns Hopkins University. He has been a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute since april 2012, focusing... Read More →
avatar for Jodie Keane

Jodie Keane

Economic Advisor, Trade division, Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat has recently undertaken a six month project on Graduation from Least Developed Country status. This process has included a specific contribution to the Gradjet platform being developed by the UN Committee for Development Policy, on trade related adjustment... Read More →
avatar for Fazal Abbas Maken

Fazal Abbas Maken

Deputy Minister/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Food Security and Research
Mr. Fazal Abbas Maken completed his Graduation from Government College, Lahore with Economics and Statistics as his major subjects. He joined the Pakistan Administrative Service (formerly known as District Management Group) in 1983. Apart from holding district-level administrative... Read More →
avatar for Raul Montemayor

Raul Montemayor

National Business Manager an Program Offcier, Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives, Inc.
Raul Montemayor is currently the National Business Manager and Program Officer of the Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives, Inc. (FFFCI), and its mother organization, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) of the Philippines. He has been also a IPC Member since 2003. He was recently... Read More →
avatar for Camila Sande

Camila Sande

International Negotiations, Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock
Agriculture, Trade, International Negotiations, Sustainable Develpment



Wednesday December 13, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

3:15pm GMT-03

Up to Standard – How to Master the Quality Infrastructure Challenge in International Trade
The session focuses on the role of QI in promoting inclusive economic transformation in developing countries. The ability to participate in global trade depends on a well-functioning and reliable quality infrastructure (QI) system – consisting of standardization, metrology, testing, quality management, certification and accreditation. Yet, this basic support system is not always available or fully-functional in developing countries. Especially small producers and SMEs encounter severe barriers and either incur high costs and lengthy procedures to acquire the necessary services abroad or are prevented altogether from trading. The sessions will explore how partnerships and international cooperation in the area of quality infrastructure can support producers in complying with the increasing number of sustainability standards and technical regulations. Experiences from Latin America, among others, will enrich the debate.

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Moderator
avatar for Pinar Artiran

Pinar Artiran

WTO Chair, Director of the Research Center for International Trade Law and Arbitration, Istanbul Bilgi University
I am the WTO Chair Holder and the Director of the Research Center for International Trade Law and Arbitration at Istanbul Bilgi University. My work and research is related to the WTO Law and principles, in particular Regional Trade Agreements, Non-tariff barriers, GATS, Trade remedies... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Alejandro Jara

Alejandro Jara

Former Deputy Director General, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the WTO
Alejandro Jara was born in 1949 in Santiago, Chile. He obtained his law degree from the University of Chile in 1973. He pursued graduate studies at the Law School, University of California at Berkeley (1975–1976). In 1976, he joined the Foreign Service of Chile where he specialized... Read More →
avatar for Héctor Laiz

Héctor Laiz

Gerente de Metrología, Calidad y Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI)
Héctor Laiz received the diploma in electrical engineering from the University of Buenos Aires in 1988 and the Doctorate Degree from the Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany, in 1999. In 1989, he joined the INTI, the National Metrology Institute of Argentina, where he was... Read More →
avatar for Andrei Mikhnev

Andrei Mikhnev

Head, Trade and Competitiveness Middle East and North Africa, World Bank
Andrei Mikhnev has more than twenty years of international development experience focusing mostly on the private sector development. He worked in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Central Asia. He is now Head in the World Bank... Read More →
avatar for Dominik Ziller

Dominik Ziller

Director-General for International Development Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Dominik Ziller heads the Directorate-General for International Development Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. His responsibili¬ties include the European Union's development cooperation, the United Nations, the World Bank Group, the regional... Read More →
avatar for Christopher Cortés Zúñiga

Christopher Cortés Zúñiga

Quality Manager, LACOMET
Christopher Cortés Zúñiga is Quality Manager of the Laboratorio Costarricense de Metrología (LACOMET). Before that, he was advisor to the Minister of Transport of Costa Rica on issues of transport sector planning and quality management systems, and responsible for institutional... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

3:15pm GMT-03

The Future of Global Trade Governance
This panel will reflect on an ongoing project that brings together a group of experienced trade policy practitioners to reflect on the implications for the trading system of recent trade and trade policy developments. These include the "globalisation backlash," rising pressures for protectionism in a number of countries and discontent with trade agreements, and the difficulties encountered in recent multilateral, "mega-regional" and plurilateral trade negotiations. The panel specifically will focus on issues regarding whether the WTO's modus operandi is fit for purpose for key stakeholders (emerging economies, businesses, voters) and how reform could strengthen this. It will therefore cover the ability of the trading system to respond to the present pressures and already existing practices within the framework that might point to a path forward. The session will draww on recent and ongoing work that is being undertaken by several of the panellists. The aim is to identify options for WTO members to leverage existing institutional mechanisms.

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Speakers
avatar for Taeho Bark

Taeho Bark

President, Lee&Ko Global Commerce Institute and Former Minister for Trade
Taeho Bark is currently President of Lee&Ko Global Commerce Institute and Professor Emeritus of Seoul National University. Professor Bark served Minister for Trade of the Korean government (2011-2013). Dr. Bark was also in the race for the DG position of the WTO. He served the Chairman... Read More →
avatar for Carlos A. Primo Braga

Carlos A. Primo Braga

Professor, Fundacao Dom Cabral
Carlos A. Primo Braga is an Adjunct Professor, Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil. He is also a Visiting Professor at IMD, Switzerland.  He was Professor of International Political Economy at IMD and Director of the Evian Group (2012-15). Before that he was the Special Representative... Read More →
avatar for Andreas Esche

Andreas Esche

Director Program Shaping Sustainable Economies, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Andreas Esche is Director of the Shaping Sustainable Economies Program and Member of the Management Committee at the Bertelsmann Stiftung in Gütersloh. He joined the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 1996 and was responsible for the Economics and Social Policy department. He then headed the... Read More →
avatar for Bernard Hoekman

Bernard Hoekman

Professor and Director, Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute (EUI)
Bernard Hoekman is the Director of the research strand “Global Economics: Multilateral Cooperation and Policy Spillovers”. He has held various senior positions at the World Bank, including Director of the International Trade Department and Research Manager in the Development Research... Read More →
avatar for Douglas Lippoldt

Douglas Lippoldt

Chief Trade Economist, HSBC Global Research, HSBC
Douglas Lippoldt is Chief Trade Economist in HSBC Global Research, based in London. He joined HSBC in August 2014 coming from the OECD in Paris where he worked for 22 years in various roles as a senior economist. Prior to that, he served seven years as an international economist with... Read More →
avatar for Hector Torres

Hector Torres

Executive Director, Centre for International Governance Innovation
Hector Torres, former Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund. He served at the IMF’s Executive Board for two different constituencies of Fund Members. Twice for the constituency led by his own country (Argentina 2004-2008 and 2016- 2017) and once for that led by Brazil... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

3:15pm GMT-03

Exploring Innovation and Intellectual Property in New Trade Agreements

Moderator
avatar for Xavier Seuba

Xavier Seuba

Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Centre d’Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle (CEIPI), University of Strasbourg
Xavier Seuba is Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Centre d’Études Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle (CEIPI) of the University of Strasbourg, France. At CEIPI he is Academic Coordinator and Judicial Training Manager, and coordinates the CEIPI-BETA Project on the... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Pedro Duarte

Pedro Duarte

Pedro Duarte is an EU official of the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office). Currently, Pedro is Project Leader of IP Key Latin America, an EU funded project that will be implemented from 2018 in Latin America, with the objective of contributing for further protection... Read More →
avatar for Mariano Genovesi

Mariano Genovesi

Head Legal Counsel, Argentinian National Association of Pharmaceutical Producers. Associated Professor, University of Buenos Aires
avatar for Pranav Kumar

Pranav Kumar

Director and Head International trade policy, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Pranav Kumar holds an M.Phil degree in Economics from IIT Bombay. He has over 22 years of professional experience in teaching, research, project management and policy advocacy with primary expertise on trade and development and regional economic integration. Since February 2012, he... Read More →
avatar for Patrick Leblond

Patrick Leblond

Associate Professor, University of Ottawa
Patrick Leblond is CN – Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy, Associate Director, and Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He is also Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation... Read More →
avatar for Vanessa Lowenstein

Vanessa Lowenstein

National Board of Science and Technology Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Argentina. Researcher and Lecturer, University of Buenos Aires
avatar for Probir Mehta

Probir Mehta

Global Lead, Intellectual Property and Trade Policy, Facebook



Wednesday December 13, 2017 3:15pm - 4:45pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

5:00pm GMT-03

Concerns and Contributions of the Southern Cone Countries to the Agro-industrial Agenda
The WTO XI Ministerial meeting will be held in Buenos Aires Argentina. Although the Agricultural Agenda is very relevant for the region, it has not made much progress.  The significant results achieved in Bali and Nairobi are not sufficient to ensure "effective access" to agricultural commodity markets. Even this occurs in a context where trade will become increasingly relevant to ensure food security in many countries of the globe in the coming years.  In view of this, the private sector of the Southern Cone proposes to advance in the pending issues, as well as to incorporate new issues to reduce distortions and facilitate access to markets. With the stagnation of the WTO agenda, many countries focused their market access strategy on implementing FTAs. However, this is not a viable strategy from the point of view of promoting development at a global level, since tariff reductions were observed between countries that formed trade agreements, this indirectly eroded the tariff preferences of third markets, in many cases, least developed countries.
Even the signing of FTAs is risky for the signatory countries, since it is generally necessary to grant more concessions than in a multilateral negotiation. In addition, in a bilateral agreement, bargaining power depends on the specific weight of each country and the existing institutional framework to support the agreement in each case.
Therefore, the FTAs seem not to be the most adequate response to face the existing trade barriers and to promote a development agenda that reaches all the countries of the globe. Given this certainty, the claim of progress in the negotiation on "effective market access" (including the SPS and TBT Agreements) is legitimate and must necessarily be discussed at the negotiating table.

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Moderator
avatar for Marcelo Regunaga

Marcelo Regunaga

Counceling Member, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Academic Director of the Formation and Training Department of the Bolsa de Cereales. Academic Director and Professor at the Agribusiness Unit of the University of San Andrés. Professor of the Graduate Program on Agribusiness at the University of Buenos Aires. Has conducted more than... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Daniela Alfaro

Daniela Alfaro

Former Latin America Editor of Puentes - ICTSD, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)
Daniela Alfaro is an Economist and holds a Master´s Degree from the National University of Uruguay (UDELAR). Former Editor for Latin-American of Puentes/ ICSTD. She currently advises the Minister of Agriculture of Uruguay on WTO issues. Daniela is Professor of Trade and Agricultural... Read More →
avatar for Santiago Bertoni

Santiago Bertoni

President, Paraguayan Institute of Agricultural Technology (IPTA)
He is an agronomist and is currently president of the Paraguayan Institute of Agricultural Technology (IPTA). Previously, he performed functions in various areas of the Paraguayan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. During his career, he was trained in biotechnology and sanitary... Read More →
avatar for Eduardo Bianchi

Eduardo Bianchi

Investigador - Profesor, Escuela Argentina de Negocios y Grupo CEO
Food Security
avatar for Luiz Carlos Corrêa Carvalho

Luiz Carlos Corrêa Carvalho

President, Associação Brasileira do Agronegócio
Ingeniero Agrónomo formado por la ESALQ / USP y posgraduado en Agronomía y en Administración por la Facultad de Economía y Administración de la USP y Vanderbilt University (USA). Es Presidente de ABAG, Director de CANAPLAN, empresa de consultoría y proyectos para el sector sucroalcoholero... Read More →
avatar for Nelson Illescas

Nelson Illescas

Lawyer, Fundación INAI
Nelson Illescas es abogado y consultor en temas relacionados al derecho internacional y las negociaciones agroindustriales. Trabaja desde 2008 en Fundación Instituto para las Negociaciones Agrícolas Internacionales (INAI).Ha escrito artículos y trabajos para publicaciones nacionales... Read More →
avatar for Roberto Rodrigues

Roberto Rodrigues

Coordinator, FGV
Roberto Rodrigues is an agronomist and farmer, coordinator of the Agribusiness Center at FGV, FAO Special Ambassador for Cooperatives, President of LIDE Agribusiness. He is also a member of countless business, institutional and academic boards.He was professor of the Department of... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 2 - Sarmiento

5:00pm GMT-03

Services Waiver: Maximising Benefits for the LDCs

Services and service providers in the least-developed countries (LDC) face barriers in accessing developing and developed countries’ markets. These restrictions—mostly related to commercial presence and the movement of natural persons to provide services—notably come in the form of visa policies and non-recognition of qualifications. Movement of a person from an LDC to developed countries, which is one of the modes of services trade under the World Trade Organization (WTO), is the most restricted of all. To develop LDCs’ services sector, the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference granted a Services Waiver. In response to the collective waiver request submitted by the LDC Group on 21 July 2014, so far 23 developing and developed country members have offered concessions and preferences to the LDC members. The Waiver brings in challenges along with opportunities to the LDCs. There are ambiguities in the modality of implementation of the Waiver itself, and developed countries have not responded well to the LDC request. 

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Moderator
avatar for Posh Raj Pandey

Posh Raj Pandey

Executive Chairman, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE)
Dr. Pandey has more than 25 years of experiences working on issues of trade and development. He is the Chairman at SAWTEE, a consortium of South Asian NGOs working to build capacity of concerned stakeholders in the context of liberalisation and globalisation. He holds a PhD in economics.Dr... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Abhijit Das

Abhijit Das

Abhijit Das is a trade policy expert. He combines extensive experience of international trade negotiations with formulating, implementing and managing trade-related capacity building projects. Prior to joining the Centre for WTO Studies, he worked in UNCTAD India Programme during... Read More →
avatar for Deepak Dhital

Deepak Dhital

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Office, Geneva, Government of Nepal
H.E. Deepak Dhital is Nepal’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva since November 2014. After entering Nepalese Foreign Service in 1999, he has spent over two thirds of his time dealing with regional and multilateral affairs... Read More →
avatar for Hadil Hijazi

Hadil Hijazi

Director, WTI Advisors
Hadil Hijazi is a Director of WTI Advisors Ltd. (Oxford/Geneva), a specialized provider of advisory services on trade law, economics and policy. She advises governments, international organisations, NGOs and others on trade and economic policy. Her practice focuses on trade policy... Read More →
avatar for Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman

Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
Professor Mustafizur Rahman is an economist by training. He is currently serving as Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, Bangladesh, prior to which he served as CPD’s Executive Director. Earlier Dr Rahman had taught in the University of Dhaka where he was... Read More →
avatar for Pierre Sauvé

Pierre Sauvé

Senior Trade Specialist, World Bank Group
Trade and Development



Wednesday December 13, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 3 - Rivadavia

5:00pm GMT-03

Online Platforms & Trade and Development: Impact and Enabling Frameworks
To discuss the role of platforms and internet intermediaries (wrongly named “OTT”) in sustainable development, the policies necessary for intermediaries and platforms to bring the best opportunities for SMEs to thrive, regionally and globally, and demonstrate how online platforms help create economic value and what specific policies are optimal for WTO to work on.

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Moderator
avatar for Andrew Ure

Andrew Ure

Head of Trade and Economic Affairs in Asia-Pacific, Google
Andrew Ure is Head of Trade and Economic Affairs in Asia-Pacific for Google. In this role he oversees Google's relationships with regional trade bodies such as APEC and ASEAN, and manages research into the economic and social impact of the internet. Prior to this he was Managing Director... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Ady Beitler

Ady Beitler

Integration and Trade Senior Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank
Ady is an Integration and Trade Senior Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank, where he leads technology-based projects in trade facilitation, such as ConnectAmericas.com and the Argentine Trade Single Window. Ady also coordinates the Americas Business Dialogue’s Digital... Read More →
avatar for John Karr

John Karr

Senior Director for Technology Programs, Asia Foundation
John Karr is the senior director for Technology Programs at The Asia Foundation. His current focus is on the role of online platforms in international development; the future of work; and distributed systems and blockchain technologies in the Asia Pacific. As the director of The Asia... Read More →
avatar for Probir Mehta

Probir Mehta

Global Lead, Intellectual Property and Trade Policy, Facebook
avatar for Kati Suominen

Kati Suominen

Founder & CEO, Nextrade Group
Founder & CEO of Nextrade Group, a data and research company that helps governments and Fortune 500s optimize public policies and investments in trade and ecommerce worldwide; Founder of TradeUp Capital Fund, a growth capital platform for globalizing tech companies acquired by Nextrade... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 5:00pm - 6:30pm GMT-03
Theater - San Martin Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5:30pm GMT-03

The Region: A Door to Global Trade for SMEs
The trade landscape continues to transform and many companies are exploring how to remain profitable and operate in this changing scenario. One response has been to strengthen operations where the policy environment is most stable and where trade costs are lowest. For many companies, ‘their region’ represents such a place.For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) regional trade has always been the most common form of internationalization. This is particularly important in the context of value chains, which are often more regional than global in reach.This session will explore how SMEs can benefit from participating in value chains – both international and regional – and how regional trade agreements (RTAs) may create and support greater value chain operations and ensure that SMEs can enter them, operate successfully and upgrade.Regional and multiregional value chains, including South-South, offer SMEs lower entry barriers than international value chains. However, the extent to which SMEs benefit depends on their position within the value chain, which is in turn determined by their bargaining power and competitiveness.Both the behavior of companies – lead firms and suppliers – and the shape of international value chains are intertwined with regional trade agreements. Indeed, regional trade agreements increase value chain driven trade, while value chains shape the design of trade agreements. Evidence suggests that it may be useful to look at value chains operations, the distribution of trade benefits and the design of RTAs in a holistic manner.The 2017 edition of the SME Competitiveness Outlook “The region: A door to global trade” will have its Latin America launch at this session.

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Moderator
avatar for Adrian Fognini

Adrian Fognini

Managing Director, Thomson Reuters, Ibero-América
Adrian Fognini is an Argentinian executive experienced in business development and integration, along with building teams strongly focused on high performance culture. He has a degree as Certified Public Accountant from University of Buenos Aires, and also obtained a Master’s Degree... Read More →

Speakers
EC

Eduardo Celino

Coordinator of Market Acces and Sources of Finance
MSMEs, foreign trade, e-commerce
avatar for Arancha González

Arancha González

Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC)
Arancha González has served as Executive Director of ITC, the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, since September 2013. Before joining ITC, Ms. González was Chief of Staff to World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013... Read More →
avatar for Marion Jansen

Marion Jansen

Chief Economist, International Trade Centre
Marion Jansen is the Chief Economist of the International Trade Centre (ITC), responsible for ITC’s flagship publication “SME Competitiveness Outlook” and the institution’s recent publications on e-commerce. She also oversees ITC’s work on export strategies. Marion previously... Read More →
avatar for Mariano Mayer

Mariano Mayer

National Secretary of Entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Production, Government of Argentina
In December 2015, Mariano Mayer was appointed as the National Secretary for Entrepreneurs and Small & Medium Enterprises, which belongs to the Minister of Production. In September 2013 he was appointed as the Head of the General Direction of Entrepreneurship of Buenos Aires City... Read More →



Wednesday December 13, 2017 5:30pm - 7:00pm GMT-03
Breakout Room 1 - Belgrano

6:30pm GMT-03

Agricultural trade interests and challenges at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires: A Southern Cone perspective

This book focuses on presenting some of the main themes that are pending in the WTO negotiations, with an emphasis on the views and perspectives of the Southern Cone countries. These countries’ interests and perspectives are influenced by the importance of agriculture in their economies and by the important role they play as the largest net food exporters.

The book is divided in three Parts. The first Part presents the main issues included in the three main Pillars of the Agreement on Agriculture which are still unresolved and that are of special interest for the Southern Cone countries. The second Part presents two themes that, although having been discussed, have not been seriously considered in the WTO deliberations to date – the elimination of export restrictions in food products and the incorporation of environmental disciplines in the WTO agenda. Finally, the third Part presents some conclusions, suggestions, and recommendations.

Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Hepburn

Jonathan Hepburn

Senior Programme Manager, Agriculture, International Centre and sustainable Development
Jonathan HEPBURN is the Senior Programme Manager, Agriculture at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva. He joined ICTSD in 2006, where he is responsible for the organisation's work on how farm trade policy and rules affect food security, equity and... Read More →
avatar for Nelson Illescas

Nelson Illescas

Lawyer, Fundación INAI
Nelson Illescas es abogado y consultor en temas relacionados al derecho internacional y las negociaciones agroindustriales. Trabaja desde 2008 en Fundación Instituto para las Negociaciones Agrícolas Internacionales (INAI).Ha escrito artículos y trabajos para publicaciones nacionales... Read More →
avatar for Ekaterina Krivonos

Ekaterina Krivonos

Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ekaterina Krivonos leads the work of the Trade Team in the Trade and Markets Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Her experience is focused on analyzing trade policy issues in relation to agricultural markets and food security... Read More →
avatar for Manuel Otero

Manuel Otero

Director General Electo, del Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA).
avatar for Valeria Piñeiro

Valeria Piñeiro

Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI
Valeria Piñeiro is an Economist in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Her research interests include international trade, development strategies and economic growth, growth linkages and regional dynamics, and sources... Read More →
avatar for Martin Piñeiro

Martin Piñeiro

Director, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Agriculture, development and trade
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Agustin Tejeda Rodriguez

Chief Economist, Buenos Aires Grain Exchange
Agustin Tejeda Rodriguez is currently Chief Economist at the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange. As Chief Economist, he is in charge of the departments of Economics, Agricultural Estimates, Technological Prospective and Training. He is also external consultant on agricultural and trade policies... Read More →
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Robert Vos

Director for Markets, Trade and Institutions Division, International Food Policy Research Institute



Wednesday December 13, 2017 6:30pm - 8:30pm GMT-03
Trading Room
 


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