Abu-Ghazaleh Delivers Key Suggestions to the WTO's New Director General at WTO Public Forum 2013
I suggest that the WTO DG may appoint a multistakeholder digital economy taskforce and establish a Business Advisory Council to engage the private sector at the WTO remembering that business is the trader while the negotiating governments are the regulators- HE Dr. Talal Abu-GhazalehGENEVA------October 1, 2013------ HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, member of the WTO Panel on Defining the Future of Trade and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) delivered several key suggestions to the World Trade Organization's new Director General at the opening plenary debate of the WTO Public Forum 2013 held in Geneva.
The Public Forum which is held this year under the theme Trade and Innovation, is the WTO's largest annual outreach event. It provides a forum for NGOs, civil society, governments, academia and the private sector to exchange views on specific issues related to international trade and is also an opportunity for the WTO to listen and learn from its stakeholders.
"I suggest that the WTO DG may appoint a multistakeholder digital economy taskforce and establish a Business Advisory Council to engage the private sector at the WTO noting that business is the trader while the negotiating governments are the regulators," Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said.
He added:"Further, TRIPS Council may consider establishing along with the Internet community representatives a joint taskforce for an IPR Agreement."
In his speech, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stressed that the Internet is subsequent to the WTO and a new mode requires new trade rules.
He gave examples of knowledge traders such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Tuenti, Baidu, Yandex, Microsoft, Bing and Ali Baba which are some of the largest traders stressing that the WTO E-commerce program is on track.
As chairman of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also tackled Intellectual Property Rights issue saying that Internet IP protection and promotion is absent on a global level quoting Franklin Roosevelt who said "IPR protection is the fuel that lights the fire of creativity in society."
"We need that fuel for Internet creativity and I suggest WIPO needs to develop an IPR discipline for the Internet economy," he said.
He also highlighted the role of the Internet in developing knowledge saying:"Knowledge products and knowledge creation will be the source of future wealth of economies all over the world."
The Co-Chair of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF), UN Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (UNGAID) chair and founder of the UN Internet Governance Forum also stated: "If the UN can get involved with ICT, surely WTO can as well. If not, something is very wrong."
Abu-Ghazaleh concluded by saying "Internet makes trade growth and wealth creation more efficient, cheaper, faster and universal thus providing more democratization, transparency and employment."
In addition to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, a host of high-level speakers such as Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General elect of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Mr. Alexander Stubb, Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland Mr. Luo Feng, CEO and founder of IZP Technologies and Ms. Julie Gichuru, African TV host (Citizen TV) participated in the WTO Public Forum.
Earlier HE Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh submitted a report titled “WTO at Crossroads” that brings insight into the required reforms of the top global body dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
Abu-Ghazaleh’s 22 recommendations in the report represent the deepest reforms to the organization since it was created, in an effort to rescue the trade body from paralysis and irrelevance. The report also makes a number of recommendations that would improve the WTO’s collaboration with the private sector, and places greater emphasis on public outreach by the WTO Secretariat, in an attempt to cement a healthier and more open rapport with citizens and NGO’s around the globe.
Meanwhile, in June 2013, a group of international trade experts assembled at the WTO to participate in an event organized by the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, the Evian Group@IMD (TEG) and the Marchi Group and discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the WTO, Doha Development Agenda and the status of the WTO in addition to others.
The Panel on Defining the Future of Trade was established in April 2012 to examine and analyze challenges to global trade in the 21st century.