Today’s trade system – centered on the World Trade Organization (WTO) but also
including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the
International Trade Centre (ITC) at the multilateral level and many different initiatives at
the regional and other plurilateral levels – has come under assault from many directions
and for several reasons. In this regard, the trade regime stands at a watershed moment
– requiring careful understanding of the challenges being posed and the potential for
transformative change to better align the system with today’s political realities, public
expectations, and policy requirements.
This Report seeks to respond to this need for fresh thinking, careful analysis, and
thoughtful reform, with the Villars Framework for a Sustainable Trade System generated
by a diverse set of scholars, researchers, and other thought leaders operating under the
banner of the Remaking Global Trade for a Sustainable Future Project. This second
version of the original Framework, called the Villars Framework 2.0., supersedes the first
Framework released in September 2023.