American University Washington College of Law Hosts Roundtable on the Future of the World Trade Organization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC, September 21, 2010 – American University Washington College of Law is proud to be hosting a roundtable discussion titled “The Future of the WTO” on Thursday, Sept. 23 from 4-6 p.m.  The panel will feature leading experts on international economic law, and will be followed by a book reception from 6-7:30 p.m. for “Redesigning the WTO for the Twenty-first Century,” edited by Debra Steger.  The event is presented by American University Washington College of Law, the Emerging Dynamic Global Economies Network, and the German Marshall Fund, and is co-sponsored by the International Trade and Investment Law Society. 

The panel will tackle several pressing questions as the World Trade Organization moves into a new era, including:

•  Is the WTO ready to meet the challenges of 21st Century?
• What impact will the economic crisis have on the WTO?
• Are reforms needed to the WTO decision making and dispute settlement mechanisms to make the organization more legitimate, accountable and effective?
• How can greater coherence in international economic policy making between the Bretton Woods institutions and the WTO be facilitated?
• Will the “success” of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism be maintained in the face of new, complex challenges such as climate change, energy and financial crises?

The roundtable will consist of widely-recognized experts in international trade law, including  Jennifer A. Hillman, member, WTO Appellate Body; senior transatlantic fellow, German Marshall Fund; John H. Jackson, university professor, Georgetown University Law Center and director of the Institute of International Economic Law, Ambassador Julio Lacarte Muró, former chair and member, WTO Appellate Body; former ambassador, Government of Uruguay, and former chair, Uruguay Round Negotiations; Jeffrey J. Schott, senior research fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Debra P. Steger, associate professor, University of Ottawa,  director, EDGE Network, and senior fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation.   The panel will be moderated by Padideh Ala’I, professor at American University Washington College of Law.

The panel will be followed by a Book Reception for “Redesigning the WTO for the Twenty-first Century, edited by Debra Steger and published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Centre for International Governance Innovation, and the International Development Research Centre.

The event will take place in room 603.  For more information go here.

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American University Washington College of Law

In 1896, American University Washington College of Law became the first law school in the country founded by women. More than 100 years since its founding, this law school community is grounded in the values of equality, diversity, and intellectual rigor. The law school’s nationally and internationally recognized programs (in clinical legal education, trial advocacy, international law, and intellectual property to name a few) and dedicated faculty provide its 1700 JD, LL.M., and SJD students with the critical skills and values to have an immediate impact as students and as graduates, in Washington, DC and around the world. For more information, visit wcl.american.edu.