Call for Proposals Now Open: Curated Conversations at the WTO Public Forum 2026

The Geneva Trade Platform is pleased to announce the launch of the Call for Proposals for the Curated Conversations series at the WTO Public Forum 2026.

Delivered in partnership with the World Trade Organization, the Curated Conversations will take place on 16–17 September 2026 at the WTO’s Centre William Rappard in Geneva.

The initiative will bring together up to 48 invitation-only roundtables designed to complement the Public Forum programme with smaller, focused, and highly interactive discussions on the most pressing issues facing international trade and trade policy.

The Curated Conversations series builds on the Geneva Trade Platform’s longstanding commitment to creating spaces for meaningful dialogue across governments, international organizations, business, academia, and civil society. These sessions are intended to facilitate candid exchanges, practical thinking, and new connections among trade stakeholders from around the world.

Designed to supplement the Public Forum’s public sessions, Curated Conversations will be held behind closed doors and by invitation only, creating an environment that encourages substantive policy dialogue, cross-sector exchange, and forward-looking discussion.

Session organizers will have full responsibility for the content, format, and participant composition of their conversations.

We Are Looking for Critical Conversations

We invite organizations, institutions, networks, and partnerships to submit proposals for conversations that matter.

Proposals may address any topic related to international trade and trade policy and are not required to align with the official WTO Public Forum theme. We welcome ideas that challenge assumptions, bridge communities, explore emerging issues, or create opportunities for practical collaboration.

Organizations may submit multiple proposals, and joint applications are encouraged.

Key Dates

• Call for Proposals opens: 10 June 2026
• Submission deadline: 30 June 2026, 23:59 Geneva time
• Successful applicants notified: Mid-July 2026
• Curated Conversations: 16–17 September 2026 at the WTO Public Forum 2026

Submit Your Proposal

We encourage interested organizations to review the application guidance and submit their ideas through the online application form.

Before you apply: Please read the Curated Conversations Applicant and Organizer Guide, which contains important information on eligibility, session requirements, organizer responsibilities, participant registration, communications, and data protection obligations.

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Whether you are seeking to convene policymakers, business leaders, researchers, practitioners, or civil society representatives, we look forward to hearing your ideas for the conversations that can help shape the future of international trade.

For questions about the Curated Conversations series, please contact the Geneva Trade Platform at info@genevatradeplatform.org.

We have collected some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers in the Q&A section of the Geneva Trade Week page on this website.