Covid-19 outbreak hits scheduling of international trade conferences

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Covid-19 outbreak hits scheduling of international trade conferences

By The Nation

 

Auramon Supthaweethum, DTN director-general

 

The worldwide spread of Covid-19 has led to many international trade conferences being postponed, Auramon Supthaweethum, the director-general of Department of Trade Negotiations (DTN), said.

 

 

She explained that Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), had announced the postponement of all conferences in Geneva, Switzerland until the end of April after one WTO personnel got infected with Covid-19 virus.

 

“In addition, it is likely that 164 members of WTO will agree on the postponement of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, scheduled from June 8 to 11 this year in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan,” she said.

 

She explained that Asean meetings scheduled to be hosted by Vietnam this year were postponed.

 

“The Asean Economic Community Council meeting scheduled to take place from April 6 to 9 this year in Da Nang, Vietnam, will be deferred for the end of June this year, while the Asean Summit also will postponed,” she said.

 

She said that although many member countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have measures to suspend travel overseas, all members will adjust the work plan to keep the negotiations going forward to be able to sign the agreement within this year as planned.

 

“Member countries will use teleconferencing system to hold meetings, starting with the 29th RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee meeting, which was originally scheduled at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta,” she said.

 

She said the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting of trade ministers from 21 member countries and Apec senior officials scheduled for April this year in Kuala Lumpur will be postponed to June.

 

She added that many conferences have a tendency to be postponed, so the department will use teleconferencing system and virtual meetings for various international meetings to ensure that work will not be interrupted and they can proceed as planned.

 

“It is an opportunity for negotiators and related officials to study and prepare information carefully before attending meetings that may be more intense or more frequent to compensate for interruption after the Covid-19 outbreak situation is resolved,” she added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384580

 

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