The WTO hosted on 5 December students from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) for the closing workshop in their Trade for Peace consultancy project. Students delivered individual presentations to HSG academics and current and former WTO staff involved in the Trade for Peace Programme to highlight their research, focusing on specific case studies that shed light on the relationship between trade and peace.
The event was organized by the WTO Accessions Division and Dr Simon Evenett of the University of St. Gallen in collaboration with the WTO’s Knowledge and Information Management, Academic Outreach and WTO Chairs Division (KMD). An opening workshop was hosted on 28 September to kick off the Consultancy Project on Trade for Peace, which is one of three current collaborations between the WTO Trade for Peace (T4P) Programme and academic institutions. Two additional projects are under development with the Geneva Graduate Institute: the T4P Interdisciplinary Master’s (MINT) Course and the TradeLab International Economic Law Clinic.
Throughout the course, 15 students prepared case studies showcasing the different approaches to the trade-peace nexus, with each case offering a nuanced analysis of specific trade scenarios and their implications on peace or vice versa. While most presentations highlighted a positive relationship between trade and peace, it was noted that this relationship is not always simple and mutually reinforcing. Cases presented highlighted gaps in the understanding of the trade-peace equation and aimed at identifying how trade could be more conducive to sustainable peace.
Various topics were covered, ranging from analyses of specific trade blocs and resource-sharing agreements which could affect peace to inclusive migration policies and institutional frameworks that could facilitate trade. Former and current WTO staff and HSG academics gave feedback to further improve the research and discussed future lines of work based on the case studies covered.
Dr Evenett noted that geopolitics adds a level of complexity to the trade-peace nexus and stressed that “the goal of this class was to get students to grapple with the many factors driving trade and conflict in the context of a case study of their choosing.”
Mustapha Sadni Jallab, Chief of Section at KMD, said that engagement with students allows the WTO to get their perspective on how trade can promote global well-being and peace. He noted the importance of addressing intricate topics with a different evidence-based approach. “Students and academics bring new, fresh perspectives to issues that can help us to see things from a different angle,” he said.
Former WTO Chief Economist Patrick Low underlined the importance of the research: “The relationship between trade and peace is complex, as demonstrated by the various case studies prepared by the students. Such research is essential for giving us a better understanding of interlinkages within the trade-peace nexus, which can ultimately inform trade policy choices.”
WTO Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill delivered closing remarks, drawing from her personal experience to highlight the role of trade in addressing conflict and violence and the importance of developing research to inform policymaking: “Following the Salvadoran Civil War, the Uruguay Round agreements became an essential part of El Salvador’s post-conflict reconstruction plan and the economic integration of Central America. While anecdotal evidence is important in its own right, policy needs to be based on research, which you are contributing to through your work.”
DDG Hill invited Dr Evenett to continue collaborating with the WTO and the T4P Programme with a particular focus on research and case studies to continue building up the empirical foundation of the trade-peace nexus to better inform policy choices.
Source: wto.org (Collected by Pham Bang Tam)