{"id":24087,"title":"How to Organise a WTO Ministerial Conference","link":"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/de\/globalization\/how-to-organise-a-wto-ministerial-conference\/","date":"2. Dezember 2019","date_unix":1575290389,"date_modified_unix":1644496095,"date_iso":"2019-12-02T12:39:49+00:00","content":"<figure id=\"attachment_24089\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24089\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\u00d6ffnet in einem neuen Tab\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-24089\" src=\"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581.jpg\" alt=\"WTO\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24089\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">copyright @WTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>In June 2020, the Kazakh government is going to host the<strong> 12<sup>th<\/sup> WTO Ministerial Conference<\/strong>. This week, GED is meeting their negotiators for a workshop identifying best practices in hosting multilateral conferences. This event is organised together with the Centre for Multilateral Negotiations.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de\/en\/publications\/publication\/did\/paving-the-way-for-consensus\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\u00d6ffnet in einem neuen Tab\" >new paper <\/a>on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de\/en\/publications\/publication\/did\/paving-the-way-for-consensus\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\u00d6ffnet in einem neuen Tab\" >negotiation management<\/a>:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Reaching<strong> decisions<\/strong> on<strong> international trade<\/strong> by consensus amongst 164 governments is an extraordinarily difficult task. The <strong>management<\/strong> of the negotiation process by the host government and WTO Secretariat can play an\u00a0<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">essential<\/span> role in tipping the balance between deadlock and agreement.<\/p>\n<p>While effective process management alone will not solve the problems that the WTO faces, it can create more favourable conditions for reaching consensus. Conversely, poor <strong>process<\/strong> makes this already difficult task practically impossible.<\/p>\n<p>Effective<strong> negotiation management<\/strong> consists of <strong>seven key elements<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>preparing<\/strong> well in advance;<\/li>\n<li><strong>teamwork<\/strong> both within the host team and between the hosts and the Secretariat;<\/li>\n<li>transparent, consistent and realistic <strong>communication<\/strong>;<\/li>\n<li>selecting the right <strong>individuals<\/strong> for the job;<\/li>\n<li>breaking the <strong>process<\/strong> down into small-group negotiations and handling this with care;<\/li>\n<li>leveraging the <strong>legitimacy<\/strong> that non-party stakeholders can bring to the process;<\/li>\n<li>and increasing the likelihood of agreement through managing the <strong>agenda<\/strong>, draft <strong>texts<\/strong>,and the overall <strong>atmosphere<\/strong> of the negotiations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Both process and context determine negotiation <strong>outcomes<\/strong>. Comparing the 1999 Seattle Ministerial Conference with the 2001 Doha Ministerial Conference allows one to hold the context relatively constant, thus demonstrating the independent effect of process management. Variation in process management by the respective organisers of the two summits led to very different outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was a notable success for multilateralism. Like WTO negotiations, climate negotiations also take place in the challenging environment of consensus decision making. Process management by the French hosts is considered a model of best practice, and has been widely credited as a factor behind the successful outcome. Lessons can be learned from this case.<\/p>\n<p>Future hosts of Ministerial Conferences are specifically <strong>recommended<\/strong> to pay attention to the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It is vital to <strong>consult<\/strong> with as many members as possible in advance of the Ministerial. If budget allows, it is preferable to travel to capitals to demonstrate respect.<\/li>\n<li>To avoid <strong>conflict<\/strong> further down the road, clearly define the respective roles of the Director-General and the Conference Chair from the outset, with the Conference chair taking the political lead.<\/li>\n<li>The host government cannot manage the entire <strong>process<\/strong> alone and will need to appoint facilitators to chair issue-specific working groups. This critical role requires specific skills and experience. Organising a workshop for facilitators in advance of the Ministerial could increase their effectiveness.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>format, attendees and timing<\/strong> of small-group negotiations at the Ministerial can all affect results. Whatever form these meetings take, <strong>transparency<\/strong> is a <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">crucial<\/span> consideration.<\/li>\n<li>Seemingly trivial details such as<strong> room facilities, security and caterin<\/strong>g at the venue all matter to delegates and can cause unnecessary friction when mismanaged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","excerpt":"<p>In June 2020, the Kazakh government is going to host the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. This week, GED is meeting their negotiators for a workshop identifying best practices in hosting multilateral conferences. This event is organised together with the Centre for Multilateral Negotiations.<\/p>\n","thumbnail":"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581.jpg","thumbnailsquare":"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2019\/12\/F9A5581.jpg","authors":[{"id":6108,"name":"Christian Bluth","link":"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/de\/blogger\/christian-bluth\/"}],"categories":[{"id":152,"name":"Globalization","link":"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/category\/globalization\/"}],"tags":[{"id":153,"name":"Events","link":"https:\/\/bst-europe.eu\/tag\/events\/"}]}