The Future and the WTO: Confronting the Challenges

Mutually agreeable solutions have yet to be found for moving the WTO’s stalled Doha Round forward. More than a decade following the launch of the Round, this collection of short essays aims to help in the search for consensus by providing brief but thorough analyses on the most pressing issues in today´s global trade environment. 

The collection features an array of dynamic contributions from some of the most distinguished academics, policy makers, and practitioners working in the field of international trade policy on a range of topics, including the core functions of the WTO, the role of emerging economies, the influence of regional agreements, and institutional challenges.

Contributors to the e-book include among others WTO Director General Pascal Lamy and Harvard Kennedy School’s Robert Z. Lawrence. The authors tackle the salient challenges and opportunities facing the multilateral trading system today and underscore the multitude of influences and perspectives at work in the process. 

The essays were originally commissioned by the Geneva-based think-tank the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) for participants attending the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2011.

Vividly written, highly topical and packed with insightful analysis, The Future and the WTO: Confronting the Challenges is a must read for everyone interested in the current turmoil of the multilateral trading system.