In the past decade, some competition agencies have been able to establish or substantially reinvent competition regimes in the face of daunting political, economic, or societal challenge.

This roundtable will bring together the heads or former heads of several of these agencies to discuss and share their observations about the conditions that must be present in order for an effective competition regime to take root, the challenges that must be overcome in the process, and the strategies they employed in the course of doing so.

Among the issues to be considered is the influence of potential political supporters and enemies, history and traditions that run contrary to free competition, and the availability of human resources and supporting institutions.

Delegates may want to focus on the following questions during discussions at the conference:

• In a jurisdiction where the idea of competition is contrary to historical or traditional values, what steps may be taken to ensure that the mission of a competition agency will be accepted by society at large?
• The skills needed to implement an effective competition policy may not be readily available to governments doing so for the first time. What strategies may be employed to attract the necessary skills and talents to the agency?
• In a society that has been characterized by dominant firms, an agency that does an effective job of encouraging competition is likely to attract political opposition. What strategies may be used to ensure the continued effectiveness of the agency?