RIETI Open BBL Webinar

Revitalising Multilateralism: Pragmatic Ideas for the New WTO Director-General

Announcement

"WTO and the pandemic: Never let a crisis go to waste" by Professor Richard BALDWIN
The new WTO Director-General has the best opportunity in years to regain some of the centrality it has lost in the world trading system since the fight against the pandemic must be global, not regional or national. Multilateralism is necessary since the pandemic will not be over anywhere until it is over everywhere and trade will play an important part in making this happen. It will not be easy and there will be tough discussions ahead. But the year 2021 could – under the new leadership – prove to be a very bright dawn for the WTO

"Revitalising Multilateral Trade Cooperation" by Professor Simon J. EVENETT
In this presentation, after a succinct account of the challenges faced by the WTO, several proposals for a short- and medium-term work programme for that organisation will be discussed. The presentation will draw from many contributions to the recent CEPR eBook titled Revitalising Multilateralism: Pragmatic Ideas for the New WTO Director-General.

Please note that this seminar will start at 4:00 pm (JST).

Information

  • Time and Date: 4:00pm-5:00pm (Japan Standard Time), Tuesday, April 20, 2021 (Registration opens at 3:45pm JST)
  • Venue: Online (YouTube)
  • Language: English
  • Admission: Free
  • Host: Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
  • Contact: Ms. MARUTAKE, Conference Section, RIETI
    E-mail
    *If the "Send by mailer" button does not work, please copy the address into your email "send to" field and connect the prefix and the suffix of the address with an "@", sending it normally.

Speakers

  • Speaker: Richard BALDWIN (Professor of International Economics, Graduate Institute, Geneva)

    Richard Baldwin is a Professor of International Economics at the Graduate Institute in Geneva since 1991 and Editor-in-Chief of VoxEU.org since he founded it in 2007. Previously, he was President of CEPR in (2104-2018), a part-time Visiting Research Professor at the University of Oxford (2012-2015), Visiting Professor at the MIT Economics Department (Fall 2002-2003), and Associate Professor at Columbia Business School (1989-1991). He has served as a Managing Editor of Economic Policy (2000-2005). Before moving to Switzerland in 1991, he was a Senior Staff Economist for the President's Council of Economic Advisors in the Bush White House (1990-1991) following trade matters such as the Uruguay Round and NAFTA negotiations as well as numerous US-Japan trade conflicts. He has been an adviser and consultant to many international organizations and governments. He did his Ph.D. in Economics at MIT with Paul Krugman and has published a half dozen articles with him. Before that he earned an M.Sc. at LSE (1980-81), and a B.A. at UW-Madison (1976-1980). His most recent book is The Globotics Upheaval: Globalization, Robotics and the Future of Work, has been translated into Japanese.

  • Speaker: Simon J. EVENETT (Professor of International Trade and Economic Development and MBA Director, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland)

    Simon Evenett is Professor of International Trade and Economic Development and MBA Director at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Simon specialises in how governments tilt the commercial playing field in favour of local firms. At the start of the Global Financial Crisis Simon created the Global Trade Alert initiative, the leading independent monitor of protectionism and commercial policy choice based at the University of St Gallen. Simon regularly engages with private sector practitioners, government officials and other thought leaders.
    He has taught at the Said Business School at the University of Oxford, the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan (where he was a Visiting Professor of Corporate Strategy three times), and Rutgers University. In addition, Prof. Evenett has served as a World Bank official twice, has been a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in the Economics Studies programme of the Brookings Institution, and a member of the UK Competition Commission. Recently, he was the DLA Piper Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Carey School of Business, Johns Hopkins University.
    He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University and a B.A. (Hons) in Economics from the University of Cambridge. Simon has written over 200 articles, book chapters, and volumes. He is regularly quoted in the international media.

  • Commentator: URATA Shujiro (Faculty Fellow RIETI / Senior Adviser, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia / Professor Emeritus, Waseda University)
  • Moderator: WATANABE Tetsuya (Vice President, RIETI)