Results of 2011 January Term Trade Negotiation Simulations
For the second year, the Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) sponsored a January Term course that uses simulated trade negotiations to teach strategic trade policy.The 2011 course involved Common Law students in two separate simulations based on actual negotiations in which Canada is currently engaged. The results of the simulations were presented during the week of February 7 to more than a dozen Canadian trade negotiators at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
In Ottawa, six JD students, along with one LL.M. student and 3 Ph.D. students participated in a simulation of the free trade negotiations between Canada and the European Union. Students benefited from strong support during the exercise. They were able to take advantage of the experience of former Canadian trade negotiators Terry Collins-Williams, Brian Morrissey, and Pierre Gosselin, as well as former DFAIT Chief Economist, John Curtis, CTPL Executive Director, Phil Rourke, CTPL International Counsel, Monique Moreau and Professor Tony VanDuzer.
Three students travelled to Barbados with Terry Collins-Williams, Monique Moreau and Tony VanDuzer to participate in a simulation of the free trade agreement negotiations between Canada and the countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom). Also participating in the Canada-Caricom simulation were 8 students in the Masters of Trade Policy program at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Malcolm Spence and Alysson Francis of Caricom’s Office of Trade Negotiations, UWI Professor Carlos Wharton and UWI Vice-Dean Neil Paul all helped out as coaches and resource people In Barbados.
“This course represents a unique opportunity for our students to develop a practical understanding of how international trade rules operate in a real world context,” states Prof. VanDuzer. “Students were assisted by very experienced coaches and had the benefit of presentations from Canada’s actual trade negotiators as well from Assistant Deputy Minister for Trade Policy and Negotiations and former Canadian Ambassador to the WTO, Donald Stephenson. No other school can offer a course like this. I am really proud of what our students did this year. They came up with creative ideas for how international rules could be crafted to meet the conflicting priorities of the parties. They also brought to bear the skills that they learned in their first year ADR course in a new context.”
Following the presentation at Foreign Affairs, Canadian government officials expressed significant interest in the results of the simulations. The students also presented their work to a group of more than 25 officials from the European Commission. The texts negotiated in the course are available on the CTPL web site.