Abu-Ghazaleh to Speak at the Opening Session of the WTO Public Forum 2013

23 Sep 2013 In addition to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, a host of high-level speakers such as Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General elect of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Mr. Alexander Stubb, Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland, Mr. Luo Feng, CEO and founder of IZP Technologies and Ms. Julie Gichuru, African TV host (Citizen TV) will consider the main question: "How can innovation foster growth and trade?"
 
 
GENEVA------23 September 2013------ HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, member of the WTO Panel on Defining the Future of Trade and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) will take part in the opening plenary debate of the WTO Public Forum 2013 to be held October 1st in Geneva.
 
The Public Forum is the WTO's largest annual outreach event. It provides a forum for NGOs, civil society, governments, academia and the private sector to exchange views on specific issues related to international trade and is also an opportunity for the WTO to listen and learn from its stakeholders.
 
This year's Public Forum theme is "Trade and Innovation" and it looks at the future of trade in an era of innovation and digitalization as technology is changing the world economy. Innovation and new technologies are important drivers of economic growth and job creation. Trade can foster innovation, leading to the dissemination of technology and underpinning high-tech expansion.
 
In addition to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, a host of high-level speakers such as Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General elect of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Mr. Alexander Stubb, Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland Mr. Luo Feng, CEO and founder of IZP Technologies and Ms. Julie Gichuru, African TV host (Citizen TV) will consider the main question: "How can innovation foster growth and trade?" and will have the opportunity to put forward different perspectives with the aim of arriving at a meaningful conclusion on the following questions: How are new technologies changing or impacting the driving forces of the world economy? Has technological innovation changed the way we trade, and if so, how?  Has trade helped countries innovate? in addition to other key questions.
 
The structure of the Public Forum is twofold, encompassing plenary debates where well known speakers set the tone of the Forum as well as sessions, where small groups of participants discuss specific trade issues related to the overall theme.
 
Earlier HE Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh submitted a report titled “WTO at Crossroads” that brings insight into the required reforms of the top global body dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
 
Abu-Ghazaleh’s 22 recommendations in the report represent the deepest reforms to the organization since it was created, in an effort to rescue the trade body from paralysis and irrelevance. The report also makes a number of recommendations that would improve the WTO’s collaboration with the private sector, and places greater emphasis on public outreach by the WTO Secretariat, in an attempt to cement a healthier and more open rapport with citizens and NGO’s around the globe.
 
Meanwhile, in June 2013, a group of international trade experts assembled at the WTO to participate in an event organized by the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, the Evian Group@IMD (TEG) and the Marchi Group and discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the WTO, Doha Development Agenda and the state of the WTO in addition to others.
 
The Panel on Defining the Future of Trade was established in April 2012 to examine and analyze challenges to global trade opening in the 21st century.