The Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) organized an expert talk titled “Trade, Human Rights and the World Trade Organization: Public Health Governance, Regulatory Capacity and the External Impacts of Trade” on Sunday, 15 November 2026, at the BILIA Auditorium, Suhrawardy Bhaban, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
The event brought together distinguished legal professionals, academics, researchers, diplomats, university faculty members and students to discuss the interrelationship between international trade law, human rights and public health protection, with particular emphasis on the implications of the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework, according to a press release received yesterday.
The program commenced with a welcome address by Dr. A. H. Monjurul Kabir, Director of BILIA. He also appreciated the participation of everyone that joined the event.
The keynote paper was presented by Professor M. Shawkat Alam, PhD, Professor at Macquarie Law School, Macquarie University, Australia. His presentation examined the complex relationship between international trade law, human rights obligations, Global South and the regulatory and institutional capacities of states in safeguarding public health.
Professor M. Shawkat Alam highlighted the COVID-19 pandemic as a critical test of global governance, exposing significant structural inequalities in the international health system through disruptions in global supply chains and unequal access to vaccines.
