To register for the event, please click here.

Participants will gain insights from trade professionals, pose questions to policy makers, and learn about the ever-shifting trade landscape at the WTO. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of processes at the WTO, the role of its key players, and the important issues facing policy makers.

Dates and Format:

Tuesday, January 16, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (US/Eastern) / 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (CET)

Wednesday, January 17, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM (US/Eastern) / 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM (CET)

Prices and Registration:

WITA Member: $200

WITA Member (Full Time University/Student): $100

Non Member: $300

Free for Embassy, Ministry, and Government Officials from All Countries!

(Must register with official government email)

Curriculum and Confirmed Speakers

All Times List in US/Eastern and Central European Time (CET)

Day 1: Structure and Functions of the World Trade Organization

 Tuesday, January 16: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (US/Eastern Time) / 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (CET)

9:05 AM ET/3:05 PM CET: Welcoming remarks by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization

Session 1: 9:10 AM – 9:55 AM ET / 3:10 PM – 3:55 PM CET

Structure and Organization of the WTO:

Ministerial Conference, Secretariat, General Council, Councils, Committees and Working Groups

Ambassador Didier Chambovey, former Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the World Trade Organization; former General Council Chair, World Trade Organization

Ambassador Santiago Wills, Director, General Council and Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) Division, World Trade Organization; former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Colombia to the World Trade Organization

Moderator: Ambassador Rufus Yerxa, Senior Advisor, McLarty Associates; former Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization; former Deputy United States Trade Representative, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Session 2: 9:55 AM – 10:35 AM ET / 3:55 PM – 4:35 PM CET

General Agreement on Trade in Services, and Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Electronic Commerce

Johanna Hill, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

Darryl Leong, Deputy Permanent Representative at Mission of Singapore to the World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva

Moderator: Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP and President & CEO, Crowell & Moring International; former Deputy United States Trade Representative, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Session 3: 10:35 AM – 11:15 AM ET / 4:35 PM – 5:15 PM CET

Agriculture and Food Security

Joseph W. Glauber, Senior Research Fellow, Markets, Trade and Institutions, International Food Policy Research Institute; former Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and former Special Doha Agricultural Envoy, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta, Consultant with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); former Costa Rican Ambassador to the World Trade Organization; former Chair of the WTO Committee on Agriculture in Special Session

Moderator: Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, Principal and Founder, AgTrade Strategies, LLC; former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Session 4: 11:15 – 12:00 PM ET / 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM CET

Trade Disputes and Dispute Settlement Understanding

Jorge Castro, Director of the Legal Affairs Division, World Trade Organization

Niall Meagher, Executive Director of the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL)

Moderator: Michael O. Moore, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, George Washington University

Day 2: Multilateral Trade Policy Issues

Wednesday, January 17: 9:00 AM- 12:30 PM (US/Eastern Time) / 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM (CET)

Session 5: 9:00 AM – 9:40 AM ET / 3:00 PM – 3:40 PM CET

Negotiations and Reform

Angela Ellard, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization 

Moderator: Paul H. DeLaney, III, Partner, Kyle House Group; former International Trade Counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance; former Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Session 6: 9:40 AM – 10:20 AM ET / 3:40 PM – 4:20 PM CET

Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change

Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division (TED), World Trade Organization

Ana Lizano, Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the World Trade Organization

Moderator: Sarah Stewart, CEO and Executive Director, Silverado Policy Accelerator; former Assistant Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Session 7: 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM ET / 4:20 PM – 5:00 PM CET

Development, Aid for Trade and Enhanced Integrated Framework

Simon Hess, Head of Monitoring & Evaluation, Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Secretariat, World Trade Organization

Michael Roberts, Head of Aid for Trade, World Trade Organization

Moderator: Katrin Kuhlmann, Visiting Professor of Law; Faculty Co-Director, Center on Inclusive Trade and Development, Georgetown Law; Member, Trade Advisory Committee on Africa, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Session 8: 11:00 AM – 11:40 PM ET / 5:00 PM – 5:40 PM CET

Disruptive Trends in Trade

Anabel González, Vice President for Countries, Inter-American Development Bank; former Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization

Ralph Ossa, Director, Economic Research and Statistics Division (ERSD), World Trade Organization

Moderator: Michael J. Smart, Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisors; former Director for International Trade and Investment, National Security Council, The White House

Session 9: 11:40 AM – 12:30 PM ET / 5:40 PM – 6:30 PM CET

National Perspectives

Ambassador Li Chenggang, Permanent Representative of People’s Republic of China to the World Trade Organization

Ambassador João Aguiar Machado, Permanent Representative of the European Union to the World Trade Organization

Ambassador Brajendra Navnit, Permanent Representative of India to the World Trade Organization

Ambassador Maria Pagan, Deputy United States Trade Representative and Chief of Mission for the Permanent Mission of the United States to the World Trade Organization

Ambassador Eheth Salomon, Permanent Representative of Cameroon and Coordinator of the African Group to the World Trade Organization

Moderator: Mark Linscott, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council; Senior Advisor at the Asia Group; and former Assistant United States Trade Representative for WTO and Multilateral Affairs

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? 

The two-day WTO Intensive Trade Seminar (ITS) is geared towards individuals who want to learn how trade policy is made within the World Trade Organization. Past attendees of the WITA Intensive Trade Seminars include those in business, law, academia, NGOs, embassies and the U.S. Government.

The curriculum is focused on helping attendees broaden their understanding of trade policy making, those seeking a career in trade policy, others new to the trade policy field, and anyone serving the import/export community.

We also encourage the international community working on economic and trade issues, and others who want to learn more about international trade, to participate in this program.

If you cannot view every session at the time it is originally offered, most sessions* will also be available off-line to paying attendees (access code will be required).

Registration for the WTO Intensive Trade Seminar is open to the public and all sessions are off-the-record/Chatham House Rules.

WITA has a two-day cancellation policy for this event

* Most sessions will be available to paying attendees to watch at a later time. However, certain sessions may not be recorded to facilitate more open discussion.

** If your agency or business does not use Zoom, we can work with you to make content available on an accessible platform for later viewing. All Diamond Sponsors will receive one free pass to attend the Intensive Trade Seminar.

Thank you to our WITA Academy Sponsors