The International Trade Law Summit (ITLS) 2026, organised by Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur, concluded on Sunday with a call to reimagine and strengthen the architecture of the multilateral trade order amid growing political and economic fragmentation across the world.

Held over three days on the theme “The World Trade Organization at 30: Reimagining Multilateralism in International Trade Law,” the summit brought together legal experts, academics, practitioners, researchers and students to deliberate on contemporary challenges confronting the global trading system and possible pathways for institutional and policy renewal.

The concluding day featured a high-level panel discussion involving Sumantha Choudhary, Principal Advisor–Trade Policy, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); Dr. A. K. Garg, Head of the Digital Tech-Law Division, Anand & Anand; Prof. Anthony (Tony) Cambas, international trade law expert from Mississippi; and Divyashri Suri, Associate Partner–International Trade, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys. The panel examined the current state of multilateralism, challenges affecting the effectiveness of the global trading system and possible measures to strengthen its institutional framework.

Addressing the valedictory session, HNLU Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan observed that multilateralism has become increasingly fragmented in the present decade against the backdrop of wider political divisions. He said that while bilateral and regional arrangements have a legitimate role in international trade, they cannot substitute the broader framework of multilateralism.

He stressed that multilateralism should not become the preserve of or be dictated by a few powerful nations, but should evolve towards a renewed balance. In this context, he highlighted the growing role and responsibilities of BRICS in the global economic order.

The Guest of Honour, P. V. S. Giridhar, Senior Advocate, Madras High Court, highlighted the role of lawyers and law students in shaping the evolution of international trade law and the development of multilateral agreements. He emphasised that constitutional values and the Constitution must remain important foundations while navigating institutional and legal processes in the future.

Chief Guest Suhail Naithani of Economic Law Associates offered a critical assessment of the strengths and limitations of multilateralism. He said that multilateralism must ultimately demonstrate tangible value to its stakeholders and should not be treated as an end in itself if it fails to deliver meaningful outcomes. Referring to the experience of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), he pointed to their tangible benefits for India in recent times, while acknowledging that multilateralism continues to have an important role where it can deliver equity, effectiveness and results.

Earlier, Dean Research Prof. Vishnu Koonarayar welcomed the gathering, while Dr. Ankit Awasthi, Convenor of the International Trade Law Summit and Head of the Centre for World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), presented an overview of the three-day summit and highlighted its academic and professional contributions.

Dr. Awasthi also announced that the next edition of the summit is proposed to be held in early October 2027, with its theme to be announced later. The valedictory programme also witnessed the announcement of the proposed *International Trade Law and Development Journal*, which is scheduled to be launched in 2027.

The three-day summit featured 12 technical sessions covering a wide range of contemporary issues, including digital trade and data governance, artificial intelligence, climate change and sustainability, investment facilitation, services liberalisation, trade and national security, dispute settlement, power asymmetries and the future of the World Trade Organization. The summit also included a *Mock World Trade Organization (WTO) exercise*, designed to provide students with practical exposure to multilateral trade negotiations.

The summit provided an interdisciplinary platform linking international trade law with contemporary economic, technological and policy developments. It also offered students and young researchers an opportunity to engage directly with emerging debates surrounding the World Trade Organization, multilateralism and the evolving global economic order.

The organising team, including Urvi Srivastava, Dr. Debmita Mondal and Dr. Ankit Singh, was acknowledged for its sustained contribution to the successful conduct of the summit. On the student side, Amrita Nair, Kruthika Senthil Kumar, Shrishti Shukla and Pratha Chouhan supported the event in various capacities.

The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Kruthika Senthil Kumar, who acknowledged the extensive efforts of the Student Organising Committee and its various teams. The summit concluded with a broad emphasis on the need to make the multilateral trade order more effective, inclusive and balanced in the face of changing global political and economic realities.

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RDJ/BKT

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