The Literary Review of Canada recently published a review of the Warwick Commission report “The Multilateral Trade Regime: Which Way Forward?". The review, entitled “Fine Tuning Trade” by Rohinton Medhora claims that the commission’s strategy to make the case for the feasible rather than the supremely desirable provides it a better chance of success.

The Hon Simon Cream MP, Australian Minister for Trade, recently commented on the work of the Warwick Commission in a speech at the Crawford School of Economics and Government, ANU.

Speaking on Australia's role in addressing the future of multilateral trade the Minister applauded the work of Commission and the importance of the report in stimulating debate. 

The Warwick Commission are gathering in Singapore for a special session with Lee Yi Shyan, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry. The event will see the Commission present its analysis on the future of the multilateral trade system after the Doha Round and discuss the implications of its report with key Singaporean policy makers and researchers. The workshop in Singapore is one of a series planned in key cities around the world as part of the Warwick Commission’s efforts to generate discussion about this global issue.

The Warwick Commission, a panel of leading specialists on world trade is this week publishing the results of its 10 month study of the state of the world trade system. They are concerned about what they see as a dwindling commitment to multilateralism in global commerce and critical of national political leaders' reliance on "the politics of blame and responsibility avoidance" in trade talks.  They call for an end to the reliance on consensus decision-making in future negotiations; a bigger role for the World Trade Organization in the delivery of Aid for Trade to developing countries; escalating financial compensation as a means to resolve some trade disputes and a high level 'reflection exercise' on the future of the trade system by the members of the WTO.

The final report of the Warwick Commission - “The Multilateral Trade Regime: Which Way Forward?” – will be launched on Thursday 6^th December at the World Trade Organization, Geneva.