New Delhi, June 21: The director general of the World Trade Organisation, Supachai Panitchpakdi has constituted a consultative board, with Professor Jagdish Bhagwati as its member, to advise him on the challenges and opportunities confronting the organisation. The board, which is being chaired by former WTO director general Peter Sutherland, will prepare a report on how to institutionally strengthen and equip the trade body to respond effectively to furture systemic challenges brought about by an increasingly integrated global economy.
"I have said that one of my priorities as the director-general would be to strengthen the WTO as an institution. To further this goal I have asked a small group of eminent individuals to lend me their experience and expertise...". Supachai said in a statement.

It will also suggest measures to improve the functioning of the organisation as it expands to a near universal membership, the role of the secretariat and its resources, ways to create more effective partnerships with other international organisations and greater public outreach.
Besides Bhagwati, who is a professor in Columbia University, other members on the board include Kwesi Botchwey, director of Africa programmes and research at Harvard Centre for International Development, Niall W A Fitzgerald Kbe, co-chairman and chief executive officer of Unilever and Professor Koichi Hamada of Yale University.
It also has Prof John Jackson of Georgetown University, Prof Celso Lafer of the Law School of University of Sao Paulo, Prof Theirry De Montbrial, founder and president of the French Institute for International Relations as members. Bureau Report