On 2 June, the Friends of Multilateralism Group (FMG) organized a webinar on a survey carried out by Hinrich Foundation on the WTO and its article Defending the multilateral tradingsystem: Survey findings on WTO reform”, authored by Chuin Wei Yap, program director for international trade research at Hinrich. Jonathan Fried, FMG Board member and former Ambassador of Canada to the WTO moderated the meeting.

 

At the meeting, Chuin Wei introduced the design and main outcomes of the survey, and shared his insights on the possible ways forward for the WTO reform. Then Sherry Stephenson, FMG Board member and the Services Convenor for the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) shared her comments as discussant.

 

Around 50 participants joined the session, including members of FMG, Ambassadors/DPRs of WTO members, representatives from related international organizations, and experts from renowned think tanks and universities etc.

 

Watch this session via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBfi3IDJ4uY.

 

Annex 1: Comments shared by Sherry

 Comments on the survey findings of the Hinrich Foundation_June 2025_Stephenson

 

Annex 2: Notes of Jonathan for his opening remarks

 Notes of Jonathan Fried

 

Annex 3: Program

15:00-15:02 Opening Remarks

Speaker: Mario Matus (FMG)

15:02-15:05 Introduction

Speaker: Jonathan Fried (FMG)

15:05-15:45 Presentations

Moderator: Jonathan Fried (FMG)

15:05-15:25 Speaker: ChuinWei Yap (Hinrich Foundation)

15:25-15:45 Discussant: Sherry Stephenson (FMG)

15:45- 16:30 Discussions

Moderator: Jonathan Fried (FMG)

 

Annex 4: List of participants

I.FMG/FFMG

Jonathan Fried (FMG)

Sherry Stephenson (FMG)

Mario Matus (FMG)

Axel Addy (FMG)

Willy Alfaro (FMG)

Deborah  Elms (FMG)

Tim Groser (FMG)

Wenhua Ji (FMG)

Robert Koopman (FMG)

Gabrielle Marceau (FMG)

Brad McDonald (FMG)

Mia Mikic (FMG)

Mohammad Saeed (FMG)

Andre Sapir (FMG)

Hector R Torres (FMG)

John  Weekes (FMG)

Alan Wolff (FMG)

 

 

II.WTO Missions

Bulgaria: Tsvetelina Dimitrova, Ambassador

Djibouti: Kadra Hassan, Ambassador

Russia: Nikolai Platonov, Ambassador

Slovak Republic: Judita Brzobohatá, Ambassador

Sri Lanka: RGS Wijesekara, Ambassador

The Netherlands: Audrey Goosen, Ambassador

Spain: Agustín Navarro de Vicente-Gella, DPR

EU: Hiddo Houben, DPR

Czech:Martin Tocik, DPR

Latvia: Renars Danelsons, DPR

Switzerland: Martin Zbinden, DPR

Estonia: Janne Kendla, DPR

The Netherlands: Robert Van Dijk, DPR

Brazil: Ciro Ferreira, diplomat

EU: davide grespan, Minister counsellor

EU: MP Nicora, Trade Policy Officer

Lybya: Imad taguri, Minister plenipotentiary

Russia: Oleg Savelev, Counsellor

Italy: Tiziana Zugliano, trade attaché

Sweden: Bjorn Dahlin van Wees, First Secretary

Russia: Sergei Tymma, First Secretary

Lithuania: Juste Mileviciute-Sliziene, Second Secretary

Australia: Kaitlyn Swainn, First Secretary

New Zealand: Arun Jain, First Secretary

Czech: Monika Ededy Müllerová, Third Secretary

Albania: Ina Loka, Intern

 

III.Think Tanks

ChuinWei Yap, Program director for Hinrich Foundation

William Reinsch, CSIS

 

IV.International Organizations

Valerie Picard, ICC

Adam Jakubik, IMF

 

V.Universities

Said El Hachimi, independent International Trade Advisor

 

VI.Others

Dale Honeck , Former Senior Counselor,  WTO

José Braga, Brazilian Diplomat

Amy Porges, Porges Trade Law PLLC

Jorge Riaboi, Trade policy consultant-Newspaper columnist