The Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Trade Out of Poverty (TOP) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development (APGOOD) are holding a joint event on the future of the WTO and its role in global development, featuring former nominee for the post of WTO Director General, Alan Kyerematen.

There is currently a keen interest in the election of the new Director General and the future of the WTO. The new DG will have to address unfinished negotiations over the reform of world trade rules and is faced with the challenge of reviving the Doha Development Round.

This event will address key questions on this topic, such as:

• How can the WTO continue to maintain its relevance against the rise of protectionism and bilateral agreements between members and continue to provide a multilateral framework for negotiations that gives weaker states far more balanced negotiating conditions?

• What are the realistic prospects for the WTO Ministerial in December and the future of the Doha Round?

• Is it time to upgrade the global trade agenda so that it can respond more effectively to 21st century challenges such as food security?

• How can the WTO best prioritise the needs of developing countries?

A meeting will be held in UK Parliament, followed by a roundtable discussion at the ODI offices in the afternoon. Dirk Willem te Velde, Head of Programme for the ODI International Economic Development Group will also be participating in this event.

Trade Out of Poverty is an independent charity dedicated to helping end poverty by raising awareness of the importance of trade as a route out of poverty, and researching ways of enabling poor countries to develop through trade. TOP aims to achieve for trade policy towards developing countries what popular campaigns did to persuade governments to commit to aid targets and drop debt burdens.

Alan Kyerematen was a nominee for the post of WTO Director General this year. He is the former Trade Minister of Ghana, and one of the leading political figures of his country. Kyerematen is also a former ambassador to the United States, one of the lead negotiators for Africa at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun (2003) and the initiator of the UNCTAD World Investment Forum. His WTO candidacy received backing from the African Union (AU).