HSE particiation in the session of the WTO Public Forum 2019
On October 10, HSE experts organized a session on “Multilateralism - Expectations from the new generation” within the framework of the WTO Public Forum 2019 held in Geneva from October 8 to 11. During the session, the prospects for regulating international trade and the need for the WTO reforms were discussed.
Head of the HSE Department of Trade Policy Maxim Y. Medvedkov explained that if the WTO does not engage in planning for the next 15-20 years, it will lose its efficiency as a multilateral regulator. According to Medvedkov, the participants of the sessi on came to the conclusion that the current system of the WTO rules will be changed since technological progress leads to a quite rapid replacement of people with machines.
According to Alexander V. Daniltsev, Director of the HSE Institute of Trade Policy, the WTO philosophy as a whole is a subject to change, as now it is a “disciplining organization” and it needs to “move from restriction to management”. Summing up the discussion, A.V. Daniltsev noted the need to expand the scope of competence of the WTO and necessity of changes in the entire structure of the agreements.
Daniil Orlov, 2nd year student of the program "International Trade Policy" was one of the speakers of the Forum, who interned in Switzerland under the current Agreement between the Institute of Trade Policy of the NRU HSE and the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern.
Maxim Y. Medvedkov