Under the theme It is time for action, the WTO Public Forum 2023 will take place on 12–15 September, examining how trade can contribute to a greener and more sustainable future. The forum’s programme includes an array of events on trade and sustainability bringing a diverse range of perspectives and issues from around the world. TESS will be joining a number of sessions as speaker and host.
Alongside the WTO Public Forum, TESS collaborates each year with Geneva Trade Week, hosted by the Geneva Trade Platform at the Geneva Graduate Institute. We look forward to hosting a reception of trade and sustainability colleagues in Geneva for the WTO Public Forum, the high-level opening plenary of Geneva Trade Week on the role of trade and trade policy cooperation in advancing action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as a breakfast bringing together invited climate and trade experts from around the world.
Join us at the Public Forum and Geneva Trade Week!
The Role of Trade & Trade Policy in Advancing Action on the SDGs: How to Boost Coherence and Cooperation?
11 September – 13:00-14:30 CET – Geneva Graduate Institute, Room A1A (Hybrid)
Hosted by TESS, the opening plenary session of Geneva Trade Week will bring together high-level leaders from international organizations and diplomatic missions across International Geneva to offer perspectives on how cooperation on trade and trade policy can be informed by and support implementation of the UN SDGs. Register here.
Principles of International Law Relevant for Consideration in the Design and Implementation of Trade-Related Climate Measures and Policies
14 September – 09:00-10:15 CET – WTO, Room B
This session, hosted by TESS at the WTO Public Forum, will introduce a new report by a group of eminent international experts on international law relating to trade and to climate. Convened by TESS, the group’s report identifies principles of international law relevant for consideration by policymakers in the design and implementation of trade-related climate measures and policies. The session will provide an opportunity for experts and stakeholders to discuss the findings of the report and how these principles can support cooperation on inclusive trade policies that support climate action and advance sustainable development. The report will be available for download on the TESS website the day of the session.
RECEPTION: Advancing Inclusive Cooperation on Trade, Climate & Sustainable Development
14 September – 19:00-21:00 CET – Geneva Graduate Institute, Terrasse de la Paix Restaurant
TESS invites you to join us for a reception at La Terrasse de la Paix at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Since its launch just over two years ago, TESS has been fortunate to work with colleagues from across the trade, environment, and sustainable development communities from around the world. The reception is our way of bringing this community together in the margins of the WTO Public Forum. To inspire conversation on how to advance inclusive cooperation on trade, climate, and sustainable development we look forward to welcoming the Trade Ministers of Ecuador and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as keynote speakers. Register your interest here.
Additional TESS Activities Around the WTO Public Forum
The Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate: Developing a Transformative and Inclusive Agenda
14 September – 15:15-16:30 – WTO, Room S2
TESS Executive Director Carolyn Deere Birkbeck will be a speaker at this event, which will bring together commentators close to the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate initiative to respond to the early priorities recently set out by ministers.
Roundtable Breakfast on Climate and Trade
13 September – 08:30-10:00 – Geneva Graduate Institute
This roundtable breakfast hosted by TESS will bring together a broad range of experts and stakeholders working on the climate-trade-sustainable development interface to exchange views on priorities and ways forward for inclusive international cooperation on the climate-trade agenda. The roundtable is by invitation only.
Using Trade Tools to Fight Climate Action
13 September – 17:00-18:15 – WTO, Library
Carolyn will be a discussant at the launch of a new book, Using trade tools to fight climate action, edited by Jennifer Hillman and Loriane Damian of Georgetown University Law Center. The book offers legal assessments of what can make a climate measure WTO consistent and options for reform for WTO rules on subsidies.
Getting the Green Transition Right – The Role of the WTO in Enhancing Inclusivity and Avoiding Fragmentation
15 September – 10:45-12:00 – WTO, Room S3
Carolyn will be a speaker at this session hosted by BusinessEurope, which will take a particular look at the international dimension of the European Green Deal, ways to enhance cooperation with partners, facilitate implementation, and address potential concerns, especially those raised by developing countries.
Exploring IP's Role in Pushing the Needle on Green, Digital Technology and Trade
15 September – 14:15-15-30 – WTO, Library
Carolyn will be a speaker at this session hosted by the WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization where she will speak on IP-related policy opportunities and issues related to expanding development, affordability, and uptake of green technologies to support sustainable trade.
TESS at the World Trade Organization
This work is part of our initiative supporting inclusive cooperation on trade, environment, and sustainable development at the WTO.
