At the Center on Inclusive Trade and Development, we are continuing Georgetown's legacy as a leader in international trade law by building a first-of-its-kind, interdisciplinary research hub.
Our scholars and students are developing innovative, inclusive approaches to the challenges facing the global trading system today.
CITD will hold its second Rethinking World Trade conference on Wednesday April 3 on the margins of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) spring meeting. Rethinking World Trade 2024 will bring together the academic community, trade practitioners, and policymakers to examine new ideas for a better trading system that is inclusive of all and promotes sustainable development. Rethinking World Trade 2024 will be a half day-long, in-person event at the Georgetown University Law Center with panelists presenting avant-garde research and policy recommendations.
This year’s Rethinking World Trade conference will feature two panels on the following themes: 1) the US-China Relations in a “Post-China Shock” Era, and 2) the Rise of Subsidies and the Clash of Industrial Policy. The event will also feature the launch of the new book, The Sustainability Revolution in Trade Agreements, edited by Kathleen Claussen and Geraldo Vidigal. We will close the event with a keynote speaker who will be confirmed.
February 21, 2024Blog by Emilie Kerstens, Michiru Ishihara, Sae Kobayashi
In February 2024, trade ministers will convene for the 13th edition of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) biennial Ministerial Conference (MC13). Historically, these negotiations have proven challenging, often yielding limited outcomes. The preceding Ministerial Conference (MC12) required hard-won compromises resulting in a limited patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, an incomplete fisheries subsidies agreement, narrow disciplines related to export restrictions to ease food insecurity, and broad commitments toward WTO reform. Thirty years after the creation of the WTO, there are concerns about its relevance. These concerns stem from perceptions that its three critical functions –negotiation, dispute settlement, and transparency through monitoring– are inadequate in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, the digital divide, and the proliferation of investment restrictions, economic sanctions, economic coercion, and industrial and agricultural subsidies. At the heart of these discussions lies the efficacy of the WTO in navigating contemporary challenges, raising questions about its adaptability in a world marked by a polycrisis. Hence, the question remains: how might MC13 contribute to shape the future of world trade?
On November 1st, Katrin Kuhlmann, CITD Co-Director, joined the Global Economic Ideas Festival (GEIF). This annual global conference hosted by the Institute of Certified Chartered Economists (ICCE) and is set to bring together world leaders and top global policy shapers in interactive panel sessions and insightful keynotes.
CITD seeks to partner with foundations, NGOs and corporations interested in promoting the establishment of a new paradigm for global trading rules and in putting trade rules to work promoting sustainable development around the world.
If you are interested in partnering with CITD, please contact us at citd@georgetown.edu.
Our scholars and students are developing innovative, inclusive approaches to the challenges facing the global trading system today.
