The Union of Arab Chambers and the Swiss Arab Chamber, in cooperation with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the United Arab Emirates and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Organization, are organizing a workshop entitled: “The World Trade Organization: The Arab Region’s Ambitions for Economic Integration and Trade International Law to protect their interests,” which coincides with the World Trade Organization conference being held on February 28, 2024, at 1:30 pm, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center - ADNEC.

The workshop aims to introduce the Arab business community to the importance of World Trade Organization rules in their international trade, as well as the importance of using those rules to protect their interests and address the obstacles and impediments they face.

Speakers from the public and private sectors from around the world will provide their views on some of the most pressing issues facing the WTO. A summary of private sector views will be submitted to the President of the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

This is the second forum organized in parallel with the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, after the successful forum held in December 2017 in Buenos Aires. The event will be broadcast online on the WTO website.

 

Organizers:

 Union of Arab Chambers.

 Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

 Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

Objectives:

 Introduce the World Trade Organization's rules to the Arab Businessmen.

 Shed light on the importance of using those rules to protect their interests in their International Trade operations.

 Inform governments and chambers of commerce about the obstacles they face.

 Focusing on the changes occurring in international trade amid geopolitical shifts and supply chains and their impact on the performance and work of WTO and the interests of Arab countries.

 

Participants:

 Presidents and members of Arab chambers and federations of Arab chambers of commerce.

 Representatives of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

 Representatives of the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

Workshop Topics:

 Challenges of international trade amid the geopolitical shifts and supply chains and their effects on the Arab region.

 Alterations in international trade rules and their impact on the Arab private sector.

 Using WTO’s rules to protect the interests of Arab businessmen and achieve Arab economic integration.

 Involvement of the Arab private sector in international trade negotiations.

 The role of Arab chambers in supporting the Arab private sector at WTO.

 

 

Speakers:

 The Speech of the President of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry delivered by Dr. Ali Saeed bin Hareb Al Dhaheri, First Vice President of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of Federation of UAE Chambers.

 Dr. Saeed Al Hashimi, Senior Advisor for Partnerships and Parliamentary Awareness, External Relations and Outreach Division, World Trade Organization.

 Ms. Hilda Al Hanaei, Secretary-General, Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 Dr. Khaled Hanafy, Secretary-General, Union of Arab Chambers.

 Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization. (Tbc)

 

 

For more details and registration, please visit this link:

https://wto.formstack.com/forms/mc13_business_forum

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Date published : 1 February 2024