The World Trade Organization's efforts to reinvigorate services trade negotiations offer a masterclass in complex, multilateral negotiation dynamics. When Ambassador Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid of Nigeria took the helm of the Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services in 2025, he wasn't just inheriting a technical trade mandate—he was stepping into one of the most challenging negotiation environments in international commerce.
The stakes couldn't be higher: services account for over two-thirds of global production and employment, yet represent only 25 percent of total trade. This enormous gap reveals both the potential rewards and the negotiation complexity involved in modernizing global trade rules for the digital age.
Ambassador Abdulhamid's approach to leading these negotiations exemplifies what RED BEAR calls the distinction between positional and personal power. While his formal title as Chair provides certain authorities, his success depends entirely on his ability to influence without coercion—to inspire action and create solutions where others see roadblocks.
As RED BEAR teaches, "Personal power is the influence you generate not from your title, budget, organization, or job description—but from who you are, how you show up, and what others experience when they interact with you." In multilateral trade negotiations, where no single country controls the outcome, this principle becomes paramount.
The Ambassador's early statements demonstrate classic RED BEAR negotiation behaviors. He emphasized both "the built-in mandate under the GATS to further open up trade in services" while acknowledging that "the current international environment is challenging." This balance reflects what RED BEAR identifies as managing tension skillfully—neither avoiding difficult realities nor being overwhelmed by them.
One of RED BEAR's core principles is "Set High Aspirations," and the current WTO services negotiations demonstrate this concept at work on a global scale. Despite member countries expressing "uncertainty on how best to proceed amid current global trade challenges," the negotiating agenda remains ambitious.
The negotiations aim to address:
This expansive agenda reflects what RED BEAR teaches about negotiation psychology: "Research confirms that negotiators who aim higher often achieve better results—not because they're more aggressive, but because they're more intentional."
The services negotiations reveal the critical importance of what RED BEAR calls "Manage Information Skillfully." Ambassador Abdulhamid's consultations with delegations in April and May 2025 demonstrate strategic information gathering and sharing.
Rather than simply presenting predetermined positions, he used what RED BEAR identifies as effective questioning techniques: "Various members expressed support for reinvigoration of work and for some of the suggestions voiced. He acknowledged that some members had expressed reservations and said that he would continue consultations to try to bridge these differences."
This approach—gathering perspectives, acknowledging different viewpoints, and using information to find common ground—exemplifies RED BEAR's principle that "power often lies in what you ask, not just what you say."
The momentum from the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi demonstrates another core RED BEAR principle: thorough preparation drives negotiation success. The February 2024 conference saw the entry into force of new disciplines on services domestic regulation, expected to lower trade costs by over USD 125 billion worldwide.
This achievement didn't happen by accident. It required what RED BEAR calls strategic planning—understanding stakeholder needs, preparing for resistance, and developing frameworks that create value for all parties.
The MC13 success provides what negotiation experts recognize as a foundation for future progress. As RED BEAR teaches, "Confidence doesn't come from reading a slide—it comes from acting, adjusting, and owning your voice."
The services negotiations highlight a key RED BEAR insight: "Personal power isn't just about commanding a room—it's about connecting in one." In multilateral trade talks, where 164 WTO members must reach consensus, the ability to build genuine connections becomes essential.
Ambassador Abdulhamid's approach demonstrates this principle. Rather than relying solely on formal authority, he's building what RED BEAR identifies as referent power—influence from being trusted and respected. His emphasis on "maintaining a long-term perspective" and recognizing that "services will be a bigger part of our future" shows strategic thinking that transcends immediate political pressures.
The challenges facing WTO services negotiations illustrate several classic "Bear Traps" that RED BEAR teaches negotiators to avoid:
Some member countries expressed uncertainty about proceeding "amid current global trade challenges." However, as RED BEAR teaches, tension isn't the problem—it's the opportunity. The Ambassador's approach of continuing consultations while encouraging written proposals demonstrates using tension productively rather than avoiding it.
In multilateral negotiations, the temptation exists to fall back on formal positions rather than exploring underlying interests. The focus on "sectors and modes of supply of interest to developing economies" shows movement beyond positional bargaining toward interest-based negotiation.
The call for members to "submit written proposals to lay the groundwork for future discussions" reflects RED BEAR's emphasis on preparation. As the Ambassador noted, "The next step may be (for members) to put those ideas on paper and to try to build an agenda that can reflect the different interests and ideas of the membership."
The services negotiations reveal key psychological dynamics that RED BEAR addresses in its training. When dealing with 164 different national interests, negotiators must master what RED BEAR calls "intentional behaviors":
Make Strategic Demands: The negotiations include specific asks around digital transformation, market access, and regulatory harmonization—clear expressions of value that move beyond vague aspirations.
Make Conditional Trades: The framework emerging from discussions shows classic "I'll do X if you'll do Y" thinking, with developed countries seeking market access in exchange for technical assistance and capacity building for developing nations.
Use Questions Strategically: Rather than simply presenting positions, successful multilateral negotiators ask questions that uncover shared interests and creative solutions.
The history of services negotiations demonstrates why personal power matters in creating durable agreements. The original GATS framework from 1995 has endured not because it was imposed through positional power, but because it reflected genuine consensus built through patient relationship-building and mutual understanding.
As RED BEAR teaches, "Personal power comes from preparation, presence, and behavior—not just position." The current reinvigoration efforts show this principle at work, with success depending more on the Chair's ability to facilitate genuine dialogue than on any formal authority to compel agreement.
The WTO services negotiations offer valuable insights for business professionals facing their own complex, multi-party negotiations:
Ambassador Abdulhamid's effectiveness stems partly from his deep understanding of both trade policy and negotiation dynamics. RED BEAR calls this "expert power"—credibility based on knowledge and skill.
Rather than avoiding difficult conversations about trade barriers and regulatory differences, successful negotiators address them directly while maintaining relationships.
The emphasis on understanding why different countries want certain outcomes—rather than just what they want—reflects RED BEAR's approach to uncovering underlying needs.
Multilateral negotiations, like complex business deals, require sustained relationship investment. Quick wins matter less than building trust for future negotiations.
The push to address digital transformation in services trade reflects a broader challenge: how do negotiators adapt established frameworks to new realities? This challenge appears in business negotiations daily, as technology changes faster than legal frameworks can accommodate.
RED BEAR's emphasis on principled flexibility becomes crucial here. The core negotiation principles—building trust, managing information, setting high aspirations—remain constant, but their application must evolve with changing circumstances.
The services negotiations show this adaptation in action, with negotiators working to apply GATS principles established in 1995 to digital services that barely existed when the original agreement was signed.
Perhaps the most instructive aspect of the WTO services negotiations is how they transform apparently zero-sum situations into value-creating opportunities. When countries compete for market access, the natural tendency is to see negotiation as purely distributive—one country's gain is another's loss.
However, the focus on areas like regulatory harmonization, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and improved transparency shows how skilled negotiators can expand the pie rather than just fighting over how to divide it.
This reflects RED BEAR's core insight that effective negotiation isn't about domination—it's about direction. It's about leading conversations toward outcomes that create value for all parties, even when their interests initially appear to conflict.
The WTO services negotiations demonstrate that even in the most formal, institutional settings, personal power drives results. Ambassador Abdulhamid's success won't be measured by his ability to command or coerce, but by his capacity to influence through authenticity, preparation, and strategic relationship-building.
For business negotiators, these trade talks offer a master class in applying RED BEAR principles at the highest levels:
The stakes extend far beyond trade policy. In an era when multilateral cooperation faces unprecedented challenges, these negotiations test whether patient, principled negotiation can still solve complex global problems. The answer may well determine not just the future of services trade, but the viability of international cooperation itself.