Europe Jacques Delors at the WTO Public Forum 2024
On 11 and 12 September 2024, Europe Jacques Delors took part in this year’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum themed “Re-globalization: Better Trade for a Better World”. For the occasion, Pascal Lamy, our Vice-President; Geneviève Pons, our Director-General and Vice-President, traveled to Geneva, accompanied by our Policy Analyst, Cláudia Azevedo, and Researcher Associate, Colette van der Ven. Here is a recap of the different events Europe Jacque Delors co-organised or participated in.
Green Industrialization on the African Continent: What Role for Trade Policy?
On September 11, Europe Jacques Delors, together with TradeMark Africa, co-organised a panel discussion titled “Green Industrialization on the African Continent: What Role for Trade Policy?” . The high-level panel, moderated by Pascal Lamy, featured EJD Director-General Geneviève Pons, Usha Dwarka-Canabady (Madam Ambassador of Mauritius to the WTO), David Beer (CEO of TradeMark Africa), and Carlijn Nouwen (Co-Founder Climate Action Platform – Africa). The discussion focused on how trade policies can unlock Africa's vast potential for green, sustainable growth.
Geneviève Pons emphasised the role that the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Critical Raw Materials Act could play in fostering inclusive green development across Africa. Key takeaways from the panel included:
- The EU must collaborate closely with African countries to ensure a fair and supportive implementation of CBAM, stepping up and finetuning technical and financial assistance to partner countries most exposed and vulnerable to the measure.
- Strategic partnerships on critical raw materials should enable resource-rich African nations to move up the value chain, while promoting high environmental and social standards in extraction processes.
Our organisation played an active role in other two high-level events, addressing pressing issues at the intersection of trade, sustainability, and development.
From Forests to Markets: Amazonia’s Sustainable Trade Path
Later the same day, Pascal Lamy moderated a panel “From Forests to Markets: Amazonia’s Sustainable Trade Path”, organised by the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) to discuss the sustainable trade practices necessary to preserve the Amazon while combating deforestation and promoting climate action. The session brought together experts to explore solutions that align environmental stewardship with trade and development. The conversation underscored the need for cohesive international strategies to protect natural resources and enhance the sustainability of global supply chains.
TESS Breakfast: Driving Multilateral Cooperation on Climate and Trade
The importance of elevating the climate and trade dialogue was further reinforced during a Stakeholder Breakfast Roundtable on Climate, Trade, and Sustainable Development, hosted by the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS). Geneviève Pons, our Director-General, represented Europe Jacques Delors at the roundtable, defending two proposals:
The Global Triangle Forum – EJD’s proposes the create a multilateral forum under the WTO's institutional mandate to address the crucial intersection of trade, environment, and development – the “triangle”.
A Trade-Related Climate Measures section in WTO Trade Policy Reviews – This would help monitor and compare trade-related climate measures across regions, facilitating cooperation and transparency.
A Meeting with the WTO Director-General
In addition to these events, our team had the opportunity to meet the WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to exchange ideas on the role of trade and the multilateral trading system in promoting sustainable development. Her insights and leadership continue to inspire efforts to build a more inclusive and sustainable multilateral trade system.
