Agenda

8.30am

COFFEE AND REGISTRATION

9am

FACING THE CHALLENGE

The international trade system is in need of significant reform. How can we strike a better balance in approaches to trade that recognise present economic and geopolitical realities while working to achieve a more sustainable and equitable future – for developing countries, workers, consumers and vulnerable groups – as well as for richer economies?

  • Mary Robinson, Chair, The Elders, former President of Ireland, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • YF Agah, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization
  • Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Columnist, Inter-Press Service; former United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development; Senior Advisor, Khazanah Research Institute, Malaysia
  • Ruth Bergan, Senior Advisor, Trade Justice Movement

Moderated by John Morrison, CEO, Institute for Human Rights and Business

10am

FOSTERING INCLUSION

Trade offers important routes to social and economic empowerment but women, minorities, people living in poverty and other groups continue to face multiple obstacles including discriminatory laws, lack of access to finance and precarious employment. What are the most promising strategies to overcome such challenges so that trade promotes gender equality and fosters greater inclusion and prosperity for all?

  • Mairead Lavery, President and CEO, Export Development Canada
  • Manoelle Lepoutre, Senior Vice President for Engagement with Civil Society, Total SA
  • Leïla Choukroune, Professor of International Law, University of Portsmouth

Moderated by Frances House, Deputy CEO, Institute for Human Rights and Business

11.15am

TEA / COFFEE

11.45am

CONFRONTING THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Time is running out. Bold and urgent action on a global scale is needed now to confront the climate crisis. How can trade policies be used to foster more sustainable economies that dramatically reduce carbon emissions and demonstrate due concern for the rights of current and future generations impacted by climate change?

  • Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation
  • Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General, Amnesty International
  • Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Aviva Investors plc

Moderated by Halina Ward, Senior Associate, International Institute for Environment and Development.

1pm

LUNCH

2pm

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF WORK

Global supply chains have helped lift over one billion people out of abject poverty but concerns over the labour rights of workers continue to be at the heart of disputes over international trade. With on-going precarious forms of employment and new technologies raising critical questions about the future of work itself, how can trade best foster decent work opportunities for people around the world?

  • Greg Priest, Head of Social Impact and Human Rights, Inter IKEA Group
  • Linda Kromjong, Global Labor & Human Rights Director, Samsung Electronics
  • Nazma Akter, General Secretary and Executive Director, Awaj Foundation

Moderated by: Rémy Friedmann, Senior Advisor on business and human rights, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

3.15pm

TEA / COFFEE

3.45pm

DE-WEAPONISING TRADE

The backlash against globalisation and the multilateral trading system has fuelled outrage that threatens the architecture of international relations and the system of governance that came into being after World War II. What steps are needed to overcome ongoing trade wars and reform key global economic institutions to make them more effective and accountable to all?

  • Carlos Correa, Executive Director, The South Centre
  • Isabel Hilton, Founder and Editor, chinadialogue.net
  • Vicky Bowman, Director, Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business

Moderated by Dewi van de Weerd, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Italy.

4.45pm

RIGHTING DATA AND TECHNOLOGY

The expansion of digital trade and growth of new technologies in the global economy have the potential to support countries in achieving sustainable development objectives. But such innovations also pose risks, such as breaches of privacy and data security. How can a human rights perspective be embedded in new technologies and their regulation, so that abuses are mitigated or minimised, while enabling broad-based access? 

  • Shona Tatchell, CEO & Founder, Halotrade
  • Anita Ramasastry, Professor of Law, University of Washington, Member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights
  • Maryam al-Khawaja, Human Rights Defender
  • Jens Munch Lund-Nielsen, Head of Global Trade & Supply Chains, IOTA Foundation

Moderated by: Salil Tripathi, Senior Advisor, Global Issues, IHRB

5.45pm

MOVING FORWARD

What have the day’s discussions suggested for how a “next generation” of trade can take shape? How can a new social contract for trade be built that reflects the dignity and rights of all people?

  • Mary Robinson, Chair, The Elders, former President of Ireland, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • John Morrison, Chief Executive, Institute for Human Rights and Business

6pm

DRINKS RECEPTION

Remarks from: 

  • Mary Robinson, Chair, The Elders, former President of Ireland, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation
  • Rae Lindsay, Partner, Clifford Chance LLP


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