The annual management fest of Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi – Parivartan had its first event launched recently. The event is called Mock WTO and it will bring together 30 astute minds from B-schools across the country as delegates of member nations of WTO and organise a platform to discuss vital issues facing the world.
"The WTO provides a forum for negotiating agreements aimed at reducing obstacles to international trade and ensuring a level playing field for all, thus contributing to economic growth and development.”- WTO Mission Statement
The WTO is the only global international organisation dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It provides a forum for negotiating trade agreements and settling disputes pertaining to international trade. Parivartan's modest adaptation of the illustrious world body seeks to emulate the intensity of the negotiations that precede the establishment of each policy framework in WTO.
This event, the first of its kind, shall endeavour to familiarize the young business leaders with the intricacies involved in contriving the framework of trade agreements and shed light on the way nations present their arguments. It shall also expose the attributes quintessential to being a representative of this renowned organisation - confidence, incisiveness and cogency.
At MWTO the participants shall partake in the intense negotiations that precede the drafting of each declaration, simulating the WTO ministerial conferences. The goal of MWTO is to help the future policy makers gain a deep understanding of the most pressing issues the world trading system confronts today and how the world organization provides a forum for negotiating agreements that aid in diminishing the barriers to international trade.
Structure
Model WTO has 30 member countries, each of which is represented by a delegate. The event has two rounds. In the preliminary, the applicants are screened on the basis of their CVs and Opinion sheets. Each applicant shortlisted for the final is allocated a country from the country matrix of 30 countries. This allocation is purely random. Each team, represented by a delegate, has to defend its “national” interests in the final negotiations round. The teams have to prepare a position paper on the proposed agenda prior to the final event. The Model WTO consists of a trade and services committee chaired by a Committee Chairperson.
The final round starts off with the presentation of the position papers, followed by the negotiation rounds on the first day. The negotiations maybe carried on to the next day, culminating in the drafting of a Final Declaration. The team that is able to defend its country’s interests in the best manner shall emerge the winner.
Application Procedure for Delegates1. All post-graduate PGDBM/MBA students are eligible to apply for Model WTO.
2. The application would be individual wherein the candidates are required to send their resume, highlighting their public speaking and MUN/MWTO/similar event experience and any information they deem relevant. An Opinion Sheet on the following topic -
Whose WTO is it anyway?3. The last date for the submission of these two documents is 25th February, 2009.
4. The files should be sent in .pdf format. Ensure that both documents are sent in the same mail, preferably as a ZIP file with the name TeamName_MWTO.zip
5. The participants are required to send a soft copy of their entry to the following mail id:
iitd-mwto.parivartan@dmsiitd.org6. Acknowledgement of the receipt of the soft copies of the entries would be sent within 24 hours of the receipt of the papers.
7. The soft copies should be typed in MS Word, with 1.5 line spacing and font Times New Roman, Size 12.
8. Each entry should have a cover page mentioning the name, the institute, e-mail id and mobile number of the participant. The name of the participant or the institute should not appear anywhere on the one page write up.
Procedure for Selection
1. The candidates shall be shortlisted on the basis of their achievements highlighted in the resume and the profundity of the views expressed in the Opinion Sheet.
2. The decision regarding allocation of countries shall be final and binding.
3. The list of shortlisted candidates and the countries they are to represent would be dispatched through email in a week’s time from 25th February, 2009. A detailed statement of the procedure along with a background guide would also be sent to the selected delegates.
Details of ConferenceAgenda-The agenda proposed for negotiations at MWTO is ·
The issue of Market Access with reference to Services Negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda If the delegates fail to arrive at a consensus on the proposed agenda and it is observed that the negotiations on the agenda cannot be prolonged any further, the committee may decide to take up the second agenda.
The problem of Tariff Barriers in Industrial Products under the Doha Development Agenda
**The agendas are subject to change. But the participants can rest assured that they would be intimated about the changes well in advance.
Important Dates
· Preliminary round submissions : 11:59:59pm, 25th February, 2009
· Announcement of the list of shortlisted candidates and country allotment: 3rd March, 2009
· Release of further event details: 5th March, 2009
· Confirmation of participation by shortlisted teams: 7th March, 2009
· Submission of position papers: 26th March
VENUE: IIT, Delhi
DATE: 4th, 5th April, 2009
Accommodation will be provided free of cost to all participants. Travel expenses: Train fare (without tatkal charges) for the shortest route between the college of the team members and Delhi will be reimbursed to the outstation participants for the
final round.
:
The prize details are as followsFirst prize: Rs. 15,000/-
Second prize: Rs. 10,000/-
Third prize: Rs. 5,000/-
Contact Details:For any queries contact
Ashutosh Gupta
+91-995800667
ashutosh.gupta@dmsiitd.org
Looking forward to your active participation!!!
