Invest wisely for the future of younger generations - Pascal Lamy

Former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Pascal Lamy, said this to AWANI Review recently, almost in a lamenting mode.

“For a country like Malaysia - I know a bit about this country, I know the young people in this country are eager to get things done, they’re eager to progress, eager to learn.

“So, my main recommendation is to invest in education, training, qualifications. This is where young people will make a living in the future,” he said in an interview.

Pascal led the WTO from 2005 to 2013, and has been through it all.

To some, his legacy in the WTO was soured by one thing – the infamous Doha Round.

Started in 2001, the Doha Round was the largest multilateral trade agreement to be negotiated, but after 14 years, the talks failed in 2015.

Many took that as a sign of where the world is heading. While it also did little to quell criticism that the WTO is slowly becoming an irrelevant body.

“I would not agree that the Doha Round is dead. It’s still around. It’s a long-term negotiation with a very complex agenda," said Pascal