FMG Action List Based on Strategic Review 2022

The following action list reflects input by FMG stakeholders to the Strategic Review
completed in 2022.
I. Has Ensuring FMG made a difference and deliveredy on its mission to
promote multilateralism and shared growth within the MTS.?
[1.] Participants in general agree that FMG has achieved its mission and played a
useful role in stimulating the discussion for about multilateralism and MTS.
The FMG will conduct a Strategic Review in consultation with FMG
members and stakeholders every two years to ensure that its focus and
actions evolve over time to address multilateral developments over time.
[2.] Some member suggests that The Board will confirm in writing to all FMG
stakeholders that, in addition to bi-annual Strategic Reviews, the FMG Board
maintains an open-door policy for suggestions on the FMG mission and
related focus, actions and activitiesshould be consulted about this question.

[I.] What have we not done in the past, and how can we do better in the years
aheadAdjustments to FMG Activities?
[1.] Participants suggest that FMG should will strengthen its role in Geneva by
continuing to communicateing ideasprograms beyond the FMG member and
stakeholder distribution on its public website and on its YouTube channel,
including by organizing contextualized events and engaging with critics.
[2.] Some suggest that FMG should reacting quickly to the new updates and
developments to ensure that its publications and sessions are in tone relevant
to with ongoing pertinent WTO negotiations and discussions.
[3.] Some suggest that The FMG will make additional efforts to engage critics of
multilateralism and will engage should go beyond Geneva and beyond
friends of MTS to achieve maintain a more comprehensive balanced views,
e.g., by organizing and participating in capital-based events engaging local
national governments, and by blending integrating regional and bilateralism

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 developments with its the FMG agenda, and discuss other multilateral issues
related to other international organizations. .
[4.] Some participants suggest that FMG will endeavor needs more to increase
stakeholder and public interaction with the receivers of its wisdom through
more diversified medium such as interview series, podcasts and other social
media, particularly to enhance its impact engagement on with younger
generations.
[5.] Some suggest that an annual assessment will be useful by FMG and its
stakeholders to make sure it’s on the right track.
[6.] Some suggest that FMG should try to will engage with the connect with
private sector and with the media by including such representatives on panels
and programming.
[7.] A few suggest that FMG should not overload its agenda and should leave
some space for its members to reflect and to provide meaningful inputs.

[II.] What should be the ideal size of FMG, and what membership criteria and
admission process.are needed for admitting new FMG members? Based on
the FMG Statutes and existing practice, new members are recommended by
existing FMG members, have relevant experience and expertise, have no
conflict of interest, and no direct affiliation with national governments or
international institutions. Decisions on admitting new members are subject
to approval by the Board.
[1.] Views are different: some participants think that The FMG will maintain of
balance of being should be small enough to be meaningful but large enough
to reflect the necessary breadth of views, while some others believe that
FMG should maintain current criteria and set no limits on candidates,
including among public sectors, retirees, private sectors, and public policy
communities and so on. The FMG Board considers that the current balance
of issue and institutional representation is appropriate, but will work to
increase all aspects of diversity as discussed below.
1. General criteria and appointment procedures for “Membership of FMG and

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 Friends of FMG” are set out in Article 7 of the FMG Statutes.1 The criteria
of “senior staff” of international organizations is normally taken to mean
director-level staff and above. While committed to satisfy our statutory
criterion for members “whose commitments and actions are consistent with
the aims of the Association”, the FMG Board shall seek to attract and
maintain a diversity of views that represent the range of views and positions
among multilateral stakeholders.
[2.] Some participants suggest that a core group and sub-groups could be set up,
with the former The FMG Board will ensure that linkages with relevant
international institutions through “Friends of FMG” (F-FMG) remain strong
and current.to manage, organize and evaluate, and the later for with
institutional linkages.

[III.] How to improve FMG membership diversity, including in respect of gender,

geography, and youth representation?
[1.] Participants agree that diversity of The FMG seeks to maintain a diverse and
qualified membership in terms of gender, geography, age and other
categories is important but should not be pursued at the expense of
qualification. Somme suggest that One designated FMG Board member will
work with one general FMG member be designated to be in to monitor and
address charge of diversity of FMG membership whose contacts shall be
communicated to the FMG stakeholder community.
[2.] Participants suggest that more young experts especially young The FMG will
make a concerted effort to attract women, and more as well as members from
Asia, the Pacific and Africa., could be included for the balance of age,
gender and geography.
[3.] For potential The FMG will encourage young members to establish , some
participants suggest that certain mechanism should be put in place for senior
members to act as mentor s, to pass on knowledge, and to ensure that young
members can contributerelationship with more senior FMG members. A few

1
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 suggest that a sub-group named “Young Professionals”, e.g., under age 45,
couldcan be established..

[IV.] Does FMG need to plan its publications with its own label, instead of random
publications by individual members? Is it possible to get funding for that
purpose?
[1.] Subject to availability of financial resources, Participants suggest that the
FMG could consider to will organize develop its own publications, including
short monographs, analysis on pertinent issues such as industrial policies,
subsidies, plurilaterals, and issues of current significance to the multilateral
trading system, as well as etc., and discussion of WTO reform.
[2.] Some suggest that The FMG could will consider also preparing issue briefs
and summaries of its sessions to facilitate the reception of its stakeholders,
and cooperate with capitals to issue its publications in both English and local
language.
Some participants point out that, to do the above, extra funding is needed.

[V.] Other than voluntary donations by FMG members, does FMG need to raise
funding for its future activities and, if yes, howFMG Funding?
[1.] Majority of participants suggest that, other than the FMG members approved
an annual membership donation of CHF 100 CHF by its members,
1. FMG should will develop a plan to seek proper funding to better structure its
work and to enhance its impact, .
[2.] Some suggest that FMG needs a specific plan to raise funding, including
through organizing joint events with private sector entities or some
independent foundations.
[3.] A few suggest that FMG needs to have a process to get itself up to date, to
organize its events in a more structured manner and more on issues that
matter to potential sponsors.
[4.] A few suggest that The FMG will could consider to registering as an NGO in
the US United States and UK United Kingdom if this to make it easier to
seek will facilitate funding.
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 [5.] A few refers to the different global situation and the difficulties to seek
funding from traditional donors on WTO and trade issues. They also point to
the investment needed in terms of resources for the preparation, drafting and
marketing of the work plan and funding request. It is suggested that FMG
Board members, and also FMG members in a position to contribute, to speak
withcan talk to potential donors, e.g., Geneva missions, to test any interest in
funding FMG and, if positive, FMG can then start investing in preparing and
marketing the work plan and funding request.

[VI.] Other Specific issuesActions based on Member Suggestions

[1.] Participants suggest some In response to member suggestions, FMG will
organize the discussion of specific issues for future FMG discussions, which
include: deglobalization; regulation and supply chain regulation, and “friend
shoring”s;, weaponization of trade and “national security”;, industrial
subsidies;, fisheries subsidies;, e-commerce and digital economy; trade and
environment; ;and their relations to sustainability, trade for peace;, and
deglobalization, deforestation.
[2.] Some suggest that FMG “trade policy previews” (TP-Ps) could will include
some a balance of developing and developed countries such as Turkey, and
some developed countries such as Japan.
[3.] Some suggest that The FMG could will interact with multilateral
stakeholders by producing digital surveys and by talk to interviewing
Ministers or and Ambassadors by asking well-drafted based on a standard
format of questions regarding key issues. on what they mean by reforming
the WTO.
[4.] Some suggest that The FMG could will hold sessions in a more flexible in
variable time formats manner so as to accommodate its members at in
different time zones

- Minutes by Nathalie YAN, January 2023.

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Annex:

[1.] Members who have participated:

[(1)] 13/12/2022
Mercedes Araoz
Clemens Boonekamp
Daniel Crosby
Simon Evenett
Jonathan T. Fried
Stuart Harbinson
Alejandro Jara
Patrick Low
Xiankun Lu
Hamid Mamdouh
Fernando de Mateo
Victor Do Prado
Sherry Stephenson
John Weekes
Alan Wolff
Tu Xinquan

[(2)] 14/12/2022
Daniel Crosby
Stuart Harbinson
Alejandro Jara
Patrick Low
Xiankun Lu
Hamid Mamdouh
Mia Mikic
Michitaka Nakatomi

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[2.] Members who have provided responses in writing:
Bernard Hoekman
Mia Mikic
Sherry Stephenson
Alan Wolff

[3.] Members absent and who have not provided writing response:
Axel Addy, Richard Baldwin, Wendy Cutler, Peter Draper, Deborah Elms, Eunice
Huang, Mohan Kumar, Cecilia Malmstrom, Sergio Marchi, Mario Matus, Maxim
Medvedkov, Pradeep S Mehta, Jan Yves Remy, Evan Rogerson, Peter Ungphakorn,
Guillermo Valles, Thu-Lang Tran Wasescha, Jayashree Watal

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