In June 2003, WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi organized a Consultative Board of eight eminent persons to study institutional challenges facing the WTO and to consider how best to meet those challenges. The resulting report generated a flurry of academic commentary (see here and here); whether it will have a substantial impact on debate over the future of the WTO remains to be seen.
One criticism of the Consultative Board was that it consisted entirely of "trade insiders" who operated in a closed manner (see here). Indeed, in sharp contrast to a UN High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change that held numerous regional consultations and issue workshops, the Consultative Board engaged in no formal outside consultation. While this critique is descriptively accurate, it begs the question of what would have been gained by outside consultation. In short, what would you have told the Consultative Board if they had asked?
Readers of this blog and others interested in trade now have the opportunity to add their voice to a high-level commission examining the future of the Multilateral Trade System after the Doha Round. Chaired by former Canadian Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew, the so-called Warwick Commission consists of a number of former diplomats, economists, academics, consumer advocates, and a trade lawyer (yours truly). The Commission seeks to contribute to the ongoing dialogue among policymakers, and seeks to generate concrete, tangible proposals for change or reform related to the WTO. The Commission has generated a questionnaire that has been distributed to a limited number of practitioners, interest groups, politicians and others. However, the Commission is very interested in the reactions of others who have opinions about the future shape of the trade regime. You can download the questionnaire and return it to the Commission here.
I believe that the interested and involved readership of this blog have much to contribute to this exercise. I strongly urge you to add your voice to the conversation.
Jeff Dunoff
