Study Trip Report to Geneva 2014
From 25 to 26 June 2014, seven students of our LL.M. class of 2013/14 went on a study trip to Geneva in order to pay a visit to some of the international organizations located there. Together with Professor Friedl Weiss and his assistant Bernhard Scherzer – thanks to their excellent organization of the program – we were granted immediate insight into the work of a couple of high-level-officers at the WTO, UNCTAD and the Advisory Center on WTO Law.
In the morning of 25 June, we were received by the Director of the Trade in Services Division at the WTO, Mr. Hamid Mamdouh, who lectured us about the growing meaning of trade in services in economic, social and legal reality. Subsequently we met with the head of the Legal Affairs Division, Ms. Valerie Hughes, who illustrated the efficiency of the WTO dispute settlement system by presenting actual numbers. Afterwards, the Director of the Appellate Body Secretariat, Mr. Werner Zdouc, gave us an overview of the Appellate Body’s practice and recent jurisdiction.
In the afternoon of 25 June, we were introduced into the precious work of UNCTAD in the intersection of trade and development, especially in the field of promoting green energy, by economist Mr. Henrique Pacini. In addition, Mr. Hamed El Kady, an expert for international investment policies at the UNCTAD, talked about the urgent need to integrate sustainable development into international investment law in order to safeguard appropriate regulatory space for developing countries in this field.
Having experienced utmost interesting presentations at the WTO Headquarters and in the Palace of Nations, we spent the evening relaxing at the exclusive UN Beach Club right next to Lac Léman.
In the morning of 26 June, we were hosted by the Advisory Center on WTO Law, where the Executive Director of the Center, Mr. Niall Meagher and a counsel at the Center, Mr. Jan Bohanes, showed us how efficiently the Advisory Center uses its limited resources for the effective support of developing countries in WTO dispute settlement.
A collective lunch at the canteen in the top floor of the ITU building completed our study trip. It was an informative and diversified tour through some of the most important international organizations of Geneva which has lastingly impressed us.
Participating students: Nazanine Anwar, Alexandra Bartsiokas, Prem Chand Gaur, Christoph Greil, Rógvi Hammer, Zrinka Matic, Ivana Mlyneková
Christoph Greill und Prem Gaur
