Under the current international economic system, trade liberalisation is believed to be one of the major contributors to economic development. This ideology is based on the belief that the market is the most effective system of allocating resources and maximising growth. The World Trade Organisation was established in 1995, with the objective to reduce trade barriers by establishing a system of international trade rules. There are many conflicting points of view on the WTO. PILDAT, without subscribing to any of these views, wishes to discuss the subject, and for this purpose arranged a Briefing Session. The objective of the briefing session was to raise the awareness of the legislators about the WTO Regime and its implications for Pakistan.

It is important for concerned stakeholders to understand how WTO agreements impact our economy and develop a consensus on how to protect our trade interests. Although WTO agreements are negotiated by ambassadors and ministers who represent the government, it is important for Parliamentarians to be involved in the process of developing the government�s position. Currently, there is a lack of meaningful discourse and information on this issue, and the concerned stakeholders are not clear about their positions.

The Briefing Session was held to provide an opportunity for the Parliamentarians to develop a better understanding of WTO related issues and lead to more proactive debate on the subject.

Complete proceedings of the event are now available. Click on the link titled 'Event Proceedings' on this page to access the PDF file.