Technical Assistance II
Ghanna Wivanius and her team are relieved and proud to have successfully completed their duties as part of the Indonesian negotiating delegation at the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, led by Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, the Director General of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade. The meeting took place from 26 February – 2 March 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Emirates Arab.
Ghanna, as she is commonly known, is a seasoned Trade Negotiator who serves as the Head of Dispute Settlement and WTO Reform Team at the Directorate of WTO Negotiation. She is part of the Ministry of Trade's team championing Indonesia's interests in pushing for reform of the dispute settlement system at the WTO.
"Indonesia is one of the countries that has been actively pushing for reform in the negotiation process, institutions, and dispute settlement at the WTO," said Ghanna, who has worked at the Directorate General of International Trade Negotiations since 2009.
The readiness of Ghanna's team to advocate for dispute settlement reform has been significantly enhanced by the capacity-building program organized by the Ministry of Trade, in collaboration with ARISE+ Indonesia. This program aims to strengthen the expertise of the Ministry of Trade's officials in several areas related to Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs), trade reform, and sustainability. Key topics include the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism, Data Protection, Fisheries Subsidies, the Environment, MSMEs, and Agriculture, all of which are crucial for effectively representing Indonesia's interests in trade negotiations.
Ghanna emphasized the importance of the support, stating, "This capacity-building is not only essential but also very timely, given our team's current shortage of personnel with legal expertise."
In December 2023, Ghanna and her team, along with other trade negotiators and analysts from the Directorate General of International Trade Negotiations, participated in a workshop organised by the Ministry of Trade to discuss the Concept Paper titled 'WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism,' developed by the ARISE+ Indonesia. The workshop provided a detailed overview of the of the WTO's Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM). It also highlighted key issues hindering of its effectiveness, and discussed strategies to break the impasse and proposed a way forward.
According to Ghanna, understanding the litigation issues at the WTO is now more crucial than ever, especially due to the urgent need for reform of the dispute settlement mechanism. The need for reform arose after a member country blocked the appointment of new Appellate Body members since 2016, leaving the WTO with only one level of dispute settlement, instead of the usual two, which includes the appellate level. This has impacted the WTO's ability to enforce its rules and raised concerns about the functioning of its institutions, as the Dispute Settlement Body is unable to act without the appeal process.
Ghanna and her team, as part of the Indonesian delegation led by the Ministry of Trade, will continue to engage in discussions to expedite the realization of a fully functional dispute settlement system. This system, accessible to all Members by 2024, is a commitment mandated by the Ministers during the 12th Ministerial Conference and reaffirmed in the 13th Ministerial Decision.
In preparation for these discussions, Ghanna and her team have utilized various resources to enhance their understanding and negotiation skills. Among these resources, the concept paper and the workshop facilitated by ARISE+ Indonesia have been particularly valuable.
Ghanna expressed her appreciation for these tools, stating, "The concept paper and the workshop are very useful for us and become our additional information as preparation material for negotiations."