Panel Recording

International trade in 2021: Can multilateralism be revived?

2021 could be an inflection point for global trade governance as trade – in particular the distribution of vaccines – plays a critical role in the fight against COVID-19 and the global economic recovery.

Event date and time: 11 May 2021 — 14:00 TO 15:00 BST

Event location: Online

International trade in 2021: Can multilateralism be revived?

— 2021 could be an inflection point for global trade governance as trade – in particular the distribution of vaccines – plays a critical role in the fight against COVID-19 and the global economic recovery.

With a new US administration committed to multilateralism and a new head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), there is an opportunity for reinvigorating the rules-based international trade order, but will there be enough momentum for overcoming long-standing hurdles to WTO reform, and has the corner been turned on protectionism?

  • What can a strategy for effective trade multilateralism look like that takes into account an increasingly competitive world and desire for strategic autonomy in key sectors of the economy?
  • What role do the key players (US, EU and China) and forums (such as the Canada-led Ottawa group, but also the G7 and G20) play in advancing the trade agenda?
  • What is the outlook for regional economic integration?
  • What opportunities and challenges come with increased digital trade?
  • How can trade work better for developing countries?
  • What more needs to be done to promote and mainstream socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable trade?

Event format and who can attend

Panel sessions bring together several renowned speakers with different perspectives on an issue, offering the audience a thought-provoking discussion that thoroughly analyses a topic from many angles. They are held in our Joseph Gaggero Hall and on the record. 

Members and guests get priority access, with places available to those who register their interest. 

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