Angela Ellard, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization

As countries chart their way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Trade Organization (WTO) expects trade to be key driver of the global economic recovery. While the global trade outlook is positive – with the WTO saying in October that it expected the world’s merchandise trade volume to grow 10.8 per cent in 2021, an increase from the March forecast of eight per cent – vaccine inequity has created fault lines that divide countries’ paths to post-pandemic recovery.

Alongside efforts to address vaccine inequity, the 164-member WTO is also responding to calls for reform – efforts which were set back with the cancellation of the 12^th Ministerial Conference last year due to the Omicron variant.

To find out more about the latest developments at the WTO, Asia House will welcome WTO Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard for an exclusive digital briefing with Corporate Members on Tuesday 1 March.

Ellard will outline the WTO’s reform agenda and key priorities, and will share her assessments of the challenges facing the WTO. She will also discuss the role the WTO is seeking to play in global post-pandemic economic recovery and the net-zero transition.

Ellard has served as WTO Deputy Director-General since June 2021. Prior to her appointment, she had a distinguished career serving in the US Congress as Majority and Minority Chief Trade Counsel for over 26 years. She is internationally recognised as an expert on trade and international economic policy, resolving trade and investment barriers, negotiating trade agreements, and supporting multilateral solutions as part of an effective trade and development policy. Ellard has negotiated and delivered significant bipartisan trade policy outcomes and legislation with Members of US Congress and senior Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush, and Clinton Administration officials.  Ellard was also a lawyer in the private sector, specialising in trade litigation and strategy, trade policy, and legislative issues.

This digital briefing is being held exclusively for Asia House Corporate Members. Find out more about Corporate Membership at Asia House.

To register interest in attending, please contact Olivia Rondonuwu, Programme Manager: olivia.rondonuwu@asiahouse.co.uk

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST to receive Asia House insights, analysis and research direct to your inbox.