FMG Online Brainstorming on Investment Facilitation for Development

On Nov. 9^th 2021, the Friends of Multilateralism Group (FMG) has organized an online brainstorming on investment facilitation based on FMG member Hamid Mamdouh’s recent paper Legal options for integrating a new investment facilitation agreement into the WTO structure (https://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/intracenorg/Content/Redesign/Events/If%20Legal%20options%20Mamdouh%20as%20of%20Sept.%2017%20final.pdf).

 

Hamid Mamdouh presented this paper to the participants. Jane Kelsey, Professor at the University of Auckland, and FMG member Jonathan Fried shared their comments as discussant. FMG member Mercedes Araoz moderated this session.

 

Over 30 participants joined the brainstorming, including members of FMG, Friends of FMG (FFMG) and Punta del Este Group (PEG), Ambassadors and DPRs of WTO members, officials and experts of related international organizations, think tanks and universities.

 

Recording of this session can be viewed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw5VEWrSrao.

 

Annex 1: Programme of this session

15:00-15:05	Opening Remarks Speaker: Xiankun Lu (FMG)
15:05-15:40	Presentations Moderator: Mercedes Araoz (FMG)
15:05-15:20	Speaker: Hamid Mamdouh (FMG)
15:20-15:30	Discussant: Prof. Jane Kelsey
15:30-15:40	Discussant: Jonathan Fried (FMG)
15:40-16:30	Discussions Moderator: Mercedes Araoz (FMG)

 

 

Annex 2: List of confirmed participants

 

1.FMG/FFMG/PEG members

Mercedes Araoz, FMG

Clemens Boonekamp, FMG

Simon Evenett, FMG

Jonathan Fried (discussant)

Stuart Harbinson, FMG

Alejandro Jara, FMG

Xiankun Lu, FMG

Hamid Mamdouh, FMG (speaker)

Mia Mikic, FMG

Xinquan Tu, FMG

Alan Wolff, FMG

 

2.WTO missions

Egypt: Ambassador

Russia: Dmitry Lyakishev, Ambassador

China: Yihong Li, DPR

EU: Hiddo Houben, DPR

 

3.WTO Secretariat

Anabel Gonzalez, Deputy Director-General

Werner Zdouc, Director, Knowledge and Information Management, Academic Outreach and WTO Chairs Programme

Robert Koopman, Chief Economist and Director，Economic Research and Statistics Division

Willy Alfaro, Director, Trade Policies Review Division

Gabrielle Marceau, Counsellor for Research on Legal Policy, Economic Research and Statistics Division

 

4.International organizations

Brad McDonald, IMF

Peter Van den Bossche, WTI

Edgard Carneiro Vieira, WEF

Pierre Sauve, World Bank

 

5.Think tanks Bill Reinsch, PIIE

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, ECIPE

 

6.Universities

Andre Sapir, Université Librede Bruxelles

Henry Gao, Singapore Management University