WTO AT THE AGE OF 20 Annual 2015 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO WTO Headquarters, Geneva, 16-17 February 2015 Organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the European Parliament

	The Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a joint undertaking of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the European Parliament. The principal objective of the Conference is to enhance external transparency of the WTO and hold it accountable to legislators as elected representatives of the people. Sessions of the Parliamentary Conference are held annually and in connection with WTO Ministerial Conferences (MC). The smooth running of this process is ensured by the Conference Steering Committee. The annual 2015 session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO took place on 16 and 17 February, in Room CR on the premises of the WTO, Centre William Rappard in Geneva. The overarching theme of the session is WTO at the age of 20. In conformity with the Conference Rules of Procedure, the annual session is intended primarily for parliamentarians who specialize in matters of international trade in their respective parliaments. The Conference will provide them with an opportunity to obtain first-hand information on recent developments in the Doha Round negotiations and consider ways of contributing to the revitalization of this process. It will also be an occasion to exchange views and experiences with colleagues in other parliaments, interact with government negotiators and WTO officials and engage in a dialogue with civil society representatives. NEW: The highligts of the session are now available in a user-friendly format as a page-flipping eBook containing numerous photos, full texts of main documents, speeches and presentations as well as extracts of the debate. The publication is available exclusively in electronic form. Click on the image on the right to see the eBook (Adobe Flash Animation player software is required). A printable version of the publication can be downloaded as a single PDF file.

Updated on 29 May 2015
SESSION DOCUMENTS
	Page-flipping eBook with highlights of the session		[English] [French]
	Printable booklet with highlights of the session (PDF, 3344 Kb)		[English] [French]
	Outcome document		[English] [French]
	List of participants		[Bilingual]
	Annotated agenda		[English] [French]
			[English] [French]
	Programme		[English] [French]
	Speech of Mr. Krister Örnfjäder, IPU Co-Chair of the Conference		[English] [French]
	Speech of Mr. Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the European Parliament		[English] [French]
	Speech of Ambassador Fernando De Mateo y Venturini, Chairperson of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body		[English] [French]
	Introductory remarks by Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, WTO Director-General,		[English only]
	Additional information on the organization of work		[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive debate theme presented by rapporteur, Mr. J. Leichtfried (European Parliament)		[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive debate theme presented by rapporteur, Mr. P. Rübig (European Parliament)		[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive debate theme presented by rapporteur, Mr. A. Singh Thakur (India)		[English] [French]
	Discussion paper on the substantive debate theme presented by rapporteur, Mr. J.H. Owona Kono (Cameroon)		[English] [French]
	Contribution by panelist, Ms. E. McClarkin (European Parliament)		[English] [French]
	Presentation on the Trade Facilitation Agreement by Ms. Sheri Rosenow (WTO Secretariat)		[English only]
	WTO booklet on the Trade Facilitation Agreement		[English] [French]
	Invitation		[English] [French]
	Advance information letter		[English] [French]
	Practical information note		[English] [French]
	Registration form		[Bilingual]
			[Bilingual]
	Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO		[English] [French]
	Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO		[English] [French]
	List of international organisations invited to follow the work of the Conference as observers		[English] [French]
	Poster of the session		[English] [French]
RELATED LINKS
	World Trade Organization		[English] [French]
	Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament		[English] [French]
	Geneva Tourism Office (hotel bookings)		[English] [French]
	The Parliamentary Conference on the WTO: A decade-long success story. Report to the 191st session of the Governing Council of the IPU (October 2012)		[English] [French]
PREVIOUS SESSIONS OF THE CONFERENCE
	Bali session, in connection with MC9 (Bali, 2 and 5 December 2013)		[English] [French]
	Annual 2012 session (Geneva, 15-16 November 2012)		[English] [French]
	Annual 2011 session (Geneva, 21-22 March 2011)		[English] [French]
	Annual 2008 session (Geneva, 11-12 September 2008)		[English] [French]
	Annual 2006 session (Geneva, 1-2 December 2006)		[English] [French]
	Hong Kong session, in connection with MC6 (Hong Kong, 12 and 15 December 2005)		[English] [French]
	Brussels session (Brussels, 24-26 November 2004)		[English] [French]
	Cancún session, in connection with MC5 (Cancún, 9 and 12 September 2003)		[English] [French]
	Annual 2003 session (Geneva, 17 and 18 February 2003)		[English] [French]
Note: Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader

PROVISIONAL ANNOTATED AGENDA
1.	Adoption of the agenda
2.	Debate on the substantive theme
		Trade as an enabler of peace and better living conditions
		Trade has a direct impact on the day-to-day lives of the people, whether in developed or developing countries. As the best development tool at the disposal of all, it can improve the living conditions of citizens around the globe and help resolve conflicts through peaceful means. In approving such a broad theme, the Conference Steering Committee intended to focus the debate on the role of policymakers, including legislators, in making the best possible use of the potential of trade as a driver for peace and prosperity.
3.	Dialogue with senior WTO negotiators and officials
		Policy, politics and trade: keeping the WTO negotiations on the right track
		One of the principal objectives of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO is to facilitate politically stimulating dialogue between legislators specializing in matters of international trade and government officials directly involved in WTO negotiations. This interactive session is meant to cover a broad spectrum of views on possible ways to advance the Doha Round, bearing in mind the newly agreed deadline of July 2015 for developing the WTO work programme.
4.	Hearing with the WTO Director-General
		Why trade? Reflections on the WTO anniversary
		It has become customary for the WTO Director-General to meet with parliamentarians. During this interactive session, which will focus on the lessons to be learnt from the twenty years of WTO's existence, the Director-General will field questions and listen to brief comments from the delegates.
5.	Panel discussion.
		Conveying the benefits of the WTO to the wider public: The case of consumers and young people
		The WTO has struggled for years to convince a sceptical public of the enduring value of multilateralism. Part of the problem is that social and economic opportunities created by trade are spread unequally, while the benefits are not inclusive enough. How best to balance free trade and consumer protection? What can be done to better explain the benefits of the WTO to young people? This interactive panel will focus on the need for the WTO, as the centrepiece of the multilateral trading system, to accommodate the interests of specific groups, such as consumers and the younger generation.
6.	Adoption of the outcome document
		At the end of the session, the participants will be invited to adopt an outcome document drafted by the Conference Steering Committee.

Updated on 13 February 2015
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
MONDAY, 16 FEBRUARY
10:00 - 12:30	Pre-Conference session of the Steering Committee (in camera meeting, IPU Headquarters)
10:00 - 18:00	Registration of participants
15:00 - 15:30	Inaugural session
	Mr. Krister Örnfjäder, MP (Sweden), Co-Chairman of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO Mr. Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the European Parliament Ambassador Fernando De Mateo y Venturini, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the WTO, Chairperson of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body
15:30 - 16:30	Presentation of reports and interactive debate on the substantive theme
	Trade as an enabler of peace and better living conditions
	Rapporteurs Mr. Joerg Leichtfried, Member of the European Parliament Mr. Joseph Hyacinthe Owona Kono, MP (Cameroon) Mr. Paul Rübig, Member of the European Parliament Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur, MP (India)
	Discussant Ms. Arancha González, Executive Director, International Trade Centre
16:30 - 18:00	Dialogue with senior WTO negotiators and officials
	Policy, politics and trade: keeping the WTO negotiations on the right track
	Guest Speakers Ambassador Angelos Pangratis, Permanent Representative of the European Union to the WTO in Geneva Ambassador Remigi Winzap, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the WTO, Chairperson of the WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-Agricultural Products Ambassador Gabriel Duque, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the WTO, Chairperson of the Special Session of the WTO Council for Trade in Services Ms. Miriam Beatriz Chaves, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative of Argentina to the WTO, Chairperson of the WTO Committee on Agriculture [tbc]
18:00 - 19:30	Reception at the WTO
20:00 - 22:00	Steering Committee (in camera meeting, IPU Headquarters)
TUESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY
10:00 - 11:00	Continuation of interactive debate on the substantive theme
	Trade as an enabler of peace and better living conditions
11:00 - 12:00	Hearing with the WTO Director-General, Mr. Roberto Azevêdo
	Why trade? Reflections on the WTO anniversary
12:00 - 13:00	Continuation of interactive debate on the substantive theme
	Trade as an enabler of peace and better living conditions
13:00 - 15:00	Lunch break
15:00 - 16:30	Panel discussion
	Conveying the benefits of the WTO to the wider public: The case of consumers and young people
	Panelists Ms. Emma McClarkin, Member of the European Parliament Mr. F. Al-Tenaiji, MP (United Arab Emirates), President of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians of the IPU Ms. Amanda Long, Director General, Consumers International Mr. Shinkun Haku, MP (Japan) Mr. Desmond Van Rooyen, MP (South Africa)
16:30 - 16:50	Briefing session
	Enacting the Trade Facilitation Agreement
	Keynote speaker Ms. Sheri Rosenow (WTO Secretariat)
16:50 - 17:30	Conclusion of interactive debate on substantive theme
	Trade as an enabler of peace and better living conditions
17:30 - 18:00	Closing session: adoption of the outcome document
	Rapporteur Mr. Kil Jeong-woo, MP (Republic of Korea)

Updated on 18 February 2015

STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE CONFERENCE

The Steering Committee of the Conference is currently composed of representatives of the following parliaments and international organizations: Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Colombia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, United Kingdom, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, European Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and World Trade Organization.