This year's Public Forum will look at how trade can contribute to post-pandemic economic recovery. The Forum will examine, in particular, how trade rules can be strengthened, and government policies improved to create a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive trading system. The Forum has three subthemes:
- Leveraging technology for an inclusive recovery
- Delivering a trade agenda for a sustainable future
- Framing the future of trade
Theme
Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented shock to the global economy. The crisis pushed the world into its deepest economic decline since World War II, and nearly 100 million people were pushed into extreme poverty in 2020, according to the World Bank. The International Labour Organization estimates that global unemployment will rise to 205 million in 2022 from 187 million in 2019, disproportionately impacting women and young people.
Background
The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest annual outreach event. It provides a unique platform for heads of states, parliamentarians, business people, students, academics and civil society to come together and debate a wide range of trade and development topics. Over 1,500 participants attend the Forum each year. See more information on previous Public Fora.