Symposium on WTO Reform

Office of Trade Negotiations, Taipei, Taiwan

The WTO is facing perhaps its biggest challenge yet since its establishment 23 years ago. Rising trade tensions between major members threaten the very existence of the organization. WTO members continually call for institutional reform and the update of trade rules, to address trade issues of the 21st century, such as trade-distorting policies of developed and developing nations, and challenges to the dispute settlement body.

This symposium aims to provide a platform for a dialogue between the Taiwanese international trade community and international scholars on major WTO reform issues, in order to raise awareness of WTO reform issues in Taiwan, and to perhaps make a contribution to WTO reform. We are pleased to have been able to invite three scholars with global reputation in the field of international trade law from the US, EU and Japan, to share their views on major WTO reform issues and possible developments.

In response to the WTO crisis, the EU and Canada have recently submitted proposals on reform and modernization of the WTO. These proposals address certain concerns raised by the United States as well as major systemic and substantive issues that have been encountered since the establishment of the WTO. These proposals will serve as a starting point for this symposium.

Agenda

* The conference will be conducted in English. Simultaneous interpretation will be available.

* We reserve the right to make any changes in the program.