Conceived as part of the WTO’s outreach to young people, the event sought to demystify global trade by sharing key insights and offering a forum for discussion. During the three panel discussions, students from Geneva, Paris, Lille and Warsaw, among other cities, engaged in lively exchanges with leaders and experts and gained insights into the challenges and opportunities of the multilateral trading system. They also voiced their own perspectives regarding its future.
The conference kicked off with a high-level panel focused on the question of “Why the WTO matters”, featuring WTO Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill, Ambassador Sofía Boza Martínez of Chile and Dmitry Grozoubinski, Executive Director of the Geneva Trade Platform. Moderated by WTO Young Professional Samah Al Rawahi, the panel examined the WTO’s enduring importance in a shifting global landscape and its role as a research hub.
The second panel, “Trade and…,” delved into the intersections of trade with inclusivity, gender equality and environmental sustainability. The panel, consisting of Ambassador Nadia Theodore of Canada, Senior Advisor to the WTO Director-General Stephen Fevrier and Kimberley Botwright, Head of Sustainable Trade at the World Economic Forum, was moderated by WTO Counsellor Javier Gutiérrez. Panelists shared insights into how trade and the WTO can make meaningful contributions to addressing critical global priorities.
Ongoing WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies, agriculture and digital trade were explored in the final panel, “The Real Deal — Bringing the WTO to the Present”. Amy Stuart, Counsellor at the Australian Mission to the WTO, Sainabou Taal, the WTO Head of Fisheries Subsidies, and Edwini Kessie, Director of the WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division, were the panellists. Moderated by WTO Communications Officer Melissa Begag, the panel brought their expertise to bear on efforts to tackle pressing global issues through innovative and sustainable policy frameworks.
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