I made a conscious decision not to attend this year’s WTO Public Forum in Geneva (mostly financial). Listening to this inaugural speech by Ms Micheline Calmy-Rey makes me wish I were there - almost exclusively for the diplomatic slap in the face she’s giving those who determined the outcome of the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) for stalling much-needed progress on the Doha Round (2001-present).
IMO, listen to the start of her speech, the middle bit around Swiss exports is miss-able, but absolutely, BE SURE to ‘tune-in’ around the 12 minute mark when she starts discussing the attempts of the world’s ‘superpowers’ to undermine the truly international goals of international organizations, such as the United Nations and the WTO.
Now this is international relations; this is new institutionalism fighting back; this is a fantastic frame to kick off a public forum (trade-based or otherwise).
