National Taiwan University (“NTU”) is honored to have been selected as one of the 17 new WTO Chairs for the Phase III of the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP). The launch event was held online on 17 May 2022, consisting of the launch ceremony and the inaugural speech.

In the launch ceremony, invited distinguished guests to give remarks include the President of NTU Chung-ming Kuan, the Dean of NTU College of Law Tsung-fu Chen, the Deputy Director-General of the WTO Xiangchen Zhang, the Director of the Division of WTO Chairs Programme Werner Zdouc, the WCP Advisory Board Member Professor Giorgio Sacerdoti, the Chair-holder of WCP Phase II Professor Pinar Artiran, the lead donor of WCP, the Deputy Head of the International Trade & Investment Rules Unit, French Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and Finance Cassandre Nonque, the Trade Minister of the Office of Trade Negotiations John Chen-Chung Deng, the Director-General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade Cynthia Wen-Jou Kiang, and the Permanent Representative of the Mission of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu to the WTO Chang-fa Lo.

NTU’s WTO Chair-holder Professor Tsai-yu Lin, the Director of the Asian Center for WTO and International Health Law and Policy (“ACWH”) of NTU College of Law, first expressed her gratitude for being selected as a new Chair. She mentioned that ACWH has dedicated itself in the research of WTO law for 20 years, “we are proud that our works have been recognized widely” and “chairing a WCP programme is a great opportunity as well as a serious responsibility for us.”

The President of NTU Chung-ming Kuan highlighted NTU’s commitment to the implementation of the WCP. President Kuan pointed out, awarding the Chair of the WCP to ACWH not only represents the highest recognition of NTU’s research capacity and being a reliable think tank for the government, but also provides an invaluable opportunity for NTU to strengthen and deepen the cooperation with WTO in research, teaching, and outreach activities. NTU would continue to play an active role in helping promote and facilitate international trade policy’s formulation.

The Dean of NTU College of Law Tsung-fu Chen noted that the WTO Chair is not only “the highest recognition of our long-term efforts in research and education regarding trade policy and international trade,” but also “a great responsibility for us to continue designing and implementing tailor-made activities to lead WTO research and to support the government and private sectors on WTO-related matters.” Dean Chen believed that joining the WCP would significantly benefit the colleagues, students, and young scholars of the College.

The Deputy Director-General of the WTO Xiangchen Zhang welcomed Professor Lin and the ACWH team to join the Chairs. He particularly highlighted the objectives of WCP to promote global research on trade issues, build up an interactive relationship between the policymaker and the research institutions, and to empower youth and cultivate future talents for global governance. Emphasizing that the Chairs Programme serves as an exchange platform for participants of different perspectives and expertise to put together their knowledge, DDG Zhang noted: “The Chairs Programme is not a one-way street where the chairs institutions receive support from the WTO. Rather, it is a sustainable ecology of talents. All participants in this ecology are beneficiaries, including the selected institutions, the WTO Membership, the Secretariat, and the Members of the Academic Advisory Board.”

The Director of the Division of WTO Chairs Programme Werner Zdouc mentioned the networking effects of WCP and the synergies created within and beyond the WCP network. Referring to the upcoming WCP project to be launched by NTU in 2022, Dr. Zdouc noted that NTU’s project focus on exploring and proposing ways in which trade can ensure and promote the world’s resilience against now and future crises. He expressed his expectation of NTU’s future works on mega-regionals and other emerging topics.

The WCP Advisory Board Member Professor Giorgio Sacerdoti commended the two main themes of NTU’s project: trade and public health and new generation trade agreements. He stressed their importance in trade relations nowadays, which is reflected by the COVID pandemic, the liveliness of the regional initiatives, the value of the research in areas where multilateral agreements have difficulty expanding, and the focus on smaller economies.

The Chair-holder of WCP Phase II Professor Pinar Artiran believed that the NTU’s future WTO Chair activities will strengthen the capabilities of academics, policymakers, and others, contribute to enhancing the global multilateral trading system and better promote cooperation between research institutions. She also looked forward to future collaborations with NTU under the WCP’s platform.

On behalf of France, the lead donor of WCP, Cassandre Nonque, the Deputy Head of the International Trade & Investment Rules Unit, French Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, stated the importance of WCP and the necessity of academic research on new topics of interests to WTO Members, such as e-commerce, environmental sustainability, and gender. She also stressed the importance of pragmatic and innovative ideas in enabling Members to reach acceptable compromises.

The Trade Minister of the Office of Trade Negotiations John Chen-Chung Deng stressed that the challenges we face today, including the pandemic, digitalization, climate change, and the war in Ukraine, highlight the importance of a responsive WTO. Minister Deng emphasized the critical role of WCP to explore new solutions in this regard. He believed that ACWH would bring valuable ideas to make the WCP more fruitful and looked forward to collaborating with WCP partners and colleagues.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Foreign Trade Cynthia Wen-Jou Kiang recognized ACWH’s research capability and important role as an academic platform. Director-General Kiang expressed her commitment to work together with other WTO Members on tackling the new challenges we encounter today, including disruptions of international supply chains caused by the pandemic and regional tensions, climate change, energy security, and food shortage to secure a resilient international trade and safe environment.

The Permanent Representative of the Mission of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu to the WTO Chang-fa Lo pointed out that being selected as a Chair “is the beginning of important responsibility for NTU and ACWH to conduct useful researches, to enhance policymaking, and to contribute to the academic circle.” Dr. Lo emphasized the supportive role he and his Mission will play “to bridge the policy research and policymaking between ACWH and the government agencies, and bridge what is happening here and the academic research between Geneva circle and the ACWH.”

The inaugural speech was delivered by Victor Luiz do Prado, the Senior Fellow for International Trade and Global Economy and Former Director of Council and TNC Division at the WTO. The theme of the speech concerns the prospects for the upcoming WTO 12th Ministerial Conference. Dr. Chang-fa Lo served as the moderator. Mr. do Prado opened the speech by emphasizing that Ministerial Conferences “are a reflection of their own time.” He stressed that “WTO should not be judged by the number of decisions and agreements that ministers can craft in a couple of days’ meeting in Geneva or somewhere around the world.” Mr. do Prado went on to look back at the past Ministerial Conferences and draw a pattern that Ministerial Conferences have become increasingly flexible in format, mandate, and participation. Considering the unprecedented crisis faced by the world today and the large amount and challenging nature of the items on the menu, he expected that it would be an uphill battle. He concluded by highlighting the importance of the conclusion of the Ministerial Conference and advised that “the way you say goodbye is perhaps even more important than the way you say hello.”

With Dr. Lo’s concluding remarks, the launch ceremony ended successfully.