Talking Trade 2020: Dealing with Disruption

Description:

In December 2019, the WTO Appellate Body was whittled down to one member, grinding to a halt the vaunted WTO dispute settlement system. Fuelled by geopolitics, global trade continues to quiver from protectionism, threatening to fall to pieces.

Many have sounded the death knell for the multilateral trading system. However, much work continues to be done to preserve the global trade order. Importantly, many trade agreements continue to be signed in the region, signalling a principled rejection of protectionism. In addition, countries such as Japan, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand have demonstrated considerable leadership to advance trade rules on the digital economy through APEC, the ‘Osaka Track’ framework and ‘Digital Economy Partnership(s)’ respectively.

Trade may be limping along, but it is not dead!

Program:

Speakers Include:

Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria - APEC Executive Director

Tan Sri Datuk Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria is the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat based in Singapore.

She served as the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Investment from December 2010 to July 2016 and took the lead as chief negotiator for bilateral and regional free trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Dr Sta Maria played an integral role in Malaysia’s participation in multilateral forums such as APEC. In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr Sta Maria chaired the body that drafted the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 Blueprint as well as the ASEAN Economic Community 2025 Blueprint. Dr Sta Maria is the first woman executive director of the APEC Secretariat.

Bruce Gosper - Australian High Commissioner to Singapore

Bruce Gosper was previously Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). He has served overseas as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Chair of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body and the WTO General Council. His previous overseas postings include Washington and Tokyo.

Mr Gosper has also served as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and First Assistant Secretary, Office of Trade Negotiations, DFAT, in addition to holding senior appointments at the departments of Trade and Resources, and Primary Industries and Energy.

Mr Gosper holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from Macquarie University and a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from the University of New England. He commenced his appointment in January 2017.

Junko Ishii - Managing Director of JETRO

Junko has been working with JETRO, a Japanese government-funded body promoting trade and investment to promote business exchanges between Japan and developing countries throughout her carrier.

She is the current Managing Director of Singapore office, but has served as Director General of the Trade and Economic Cooperation Department in HQ, Chief Director of JETRO Nagoya and Yokohama, and Deputy Director of JETRO Manila. Junko was the Secretary General of Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) when working at HQ. She has lived in Mexico, USA and Australia during her school days, graduated from ICU in Tokyo.

Dr Deborah Elms - Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre

Dr Deborah Elms is the Founder and Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre (ATC). She is Vice Chair of the Advisory Board for the Asia Business Trade Association (ABTA), Co-Chair of the Trade Policy Committee of the Global Trade Professionals Alliance (GTPA), and also a Senior Fellow in the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Trade Academy.

Previously, Dr Elms was head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade & Negotiations (TFCTN) and Senior Fellow of International Political Economy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Event is supported by: Canada - ASEAN Business Council & EU - ASEAN Business Council