On April 16, 2024, the Friends of Multilateralism Group (FMG) organized an online brainstorming session to discuss about Trade in Services and MC13. Patrick Low, Co-Chair of FMG Board and former Chief Economist of WTO moderated this session.
At the meeting, Sherry M. Stephenson, FMG Board member and independent consultant, associated with the Services Network of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) ; George Riddell, EY Director of Trade Policy and Strategy and Hamid Mamdouh, FMG member and former Director of Trade in Services and Investment Division of the WTO shared their insights on the topic and answered the questions from the participants.
Nearly 50 participants joined the session, including members of FMG, Ambassadors/DPRs of WTO members, Directors of WTO divisions, representatives from related international organizations, and experts from renowned think tanks and universities etc.
Recording of this session can be watched via: https://youtu.be/_D9BSnMShE8.
Annex 1: two reading pieces for this session:
- PECC Signature Project FTAAP Pathways To Prosperity_Policy Brief by Sherry Stephenson and Mia Mikic
- Think piece on the future of services trade at the WTO by George Riddell
Annex 2: Sherry’s remarks at this session:
Brainstorming session on services FMG_remarks Stephenson
Annex 3: Programme
| 14:00-14:05 |
Introduction Speaker: Patrick Low (FMG) |
| 14:05-14:45 |
Presentations Moderator: Patrick Low (FMG) |
| 14:05- 14:20 | Speaker 1: Sherry Stephenson (FMG) |
| 14:20-14:35 | Speaker 2: George Riddell (EY) |
| 14:35- 14:50 | Speaker 3: Hamid Mamdouh (FMG) |
| 14:50- 15:30 |
Discussions Moderator: Patrick Low (FMG) |
Annex 4: List of confirmed participants
- FMG/FFMG
Rajesh Aggarwal (FMG)
Hilda Al-Hinai (FMG)
Clemens Boonekamp (FMG)
Deborah Elms (FMG)
Jonathan T. Fried (FMG)
Henry Gao (FMG)
Stuart Harbinson (FMG)
Alejandro Jara (FMG)
Wenhua Ji (FMG)
Masamichi Kono (FMG)
Patrick Low (FMG)
Hamid Mamdouh (FMG)
Mario Matus (FMG)
Mia Mikic (FMG)
Michitaka Nakatomi (FMG)
Sherry Stephenson (FMG)
Alan Wolff (FMG)
Valerie Picard (FFMG)
James Zhan (FFMG)
- WTO Missions
Bulgaria: Tsvetelina Dimitrova, Ambassador
Cabo Verde: Clara Manuela da Luz Delgado Jesus, Ambassador
Costa Rica: Jaime Coghi, DPR
Djibouti: Kadra Ahmed Hassan, Ambassador
EU: Aguiar Machado, Ambassador
EU: Hiddo Houben, DPR
Montenegro: Ambassador Slavica Milacic
Egypt: Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin, Ambassador
France: Etienne OUDOT DE DAINVILLE, Ambassador
Hong Kong SAR of China: Helen Kwan, DPR
Russia: PLATONOV Nikolai, Ambassdor
Singapore: Darryl Leong, DPR
Spain: Aurora Díaz-Rato, Ambassador
- WTO Divisions:
Rohini Acharya, Chief of Section, Trade Policies Review Division, WTO
Martin Roy, Trade in Services and Investment Division
- Think Tanks
William Reinsch, CSIS
- International Organizations:
Niall Meagher, ACWL
Sean Doherty, WEF
- Universities
Andre Sapir, Columbia University
Gabrielle Marceau, UNIGE
- Others
Werner Zdouc, former Director, Knowledge and Information Management, Academic Outreach and WTO Chairs Programme
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