WCP Regional Conference for Asian and African Chairs on “Fostering Resilient and Responsible Trade for a Changing Global Order

The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) Regional Conference of Asian and African Chairs, titled “Fostering Resilient and Responsible Trade for a Changing Global Order”, was held on 27–28 September 2024 at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, and organized by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), under the WCP India Chair, in collaboration with the Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) and the Centre for WTO Studies (CWTOS).
The two-day conference brought together WTO Chairs, trade experts, academics, and policymakers from Asia and Africa to deliberate on pressing global trade challenges and regional priorities. The inaugural session featured addresses by senior dignitaries including Amb. Xiangchen Zhang (WTO DDG), H.E. Dr. Senthil Pandian C. (India’s Ambassador to the WTO), and Shri Ajay Bhadoo (Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, India).
Thematic sessions explored a wide range of topics:
• Regional trade dynamics and global norms
• Digital transformation for inclusive development
• Green industrial policies and trade tensions
• Critical minerals and clean energy futures
• Reforming WTO dispute settlement mechanisms
Distinguished speakers included Prof. Joel P. Trachtman (Tufts University), Amb. Mohan Kumar, Dr. Henry Gao, Dr. Giorgio Sacerdoti, and Amb. Ujal Singh Bhatia, among others. The conference also featured a closed-door roundtable of WTO Chairholders and a keynote address and gala dinner at The Oberoi, New Delhi.
The event served as a vital platform for cross-regional dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaborative thinking on how developing economies can shape a more equitable and sustainable global trade architecture. It reinforced the WCP’s mission to build academic capacity and policy relevance in WTO-related disciplines across the Global South.