Deputy Director-General Frederick Yonov Agah welcomed the new cohort of young professionals to the WTO at a virtual welcoming ceremony on 3 February. Now in its fifth year, the Young Professionals Programme provides a unique opportunity for qualified individuals to spend a year at the WTO in (...)
Music transcends all barriers. The Music Against Child Labour Initiative launches an international song competition this February with AR Rahman as one of the esteemed judges.
The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the vulnerability of states that were already suffering from disaster and conflict. Even before this global health crisis, many were experiencing high rates of unemployment and poverty, leading to increased risk of social (...)
The WTO will host an online event on 23-25 March to explore the trade-related challenges faced by developing countries in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Aid for Trade Stocktaking Event” will look into measures to assist developing and in particular least-developed countries increase their (...)
The WTO’s four Deputy Directors-General — Yonov Frederick Agah, Karl Brauner, Alan Wolff and Yi Xiaozhun — urged members on 1 February to step up cooperation in order to ensure worldwide access to vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. They issued the following (...)
Rodrigo Mogrovejo works for the ILO in Mexico where he deals with contemporary labour standards. His hobby is the study of ancient history, where he sees great relevance to the issues he deals with daily at work.
Speaking to ministers from a cross-section of the WTO membership on 29 January, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff urged them to make 2021 “a year of substantial accomplishments” at the WTO by taking action on health, sustainability issues, and the joint statement initiatives. He urged that (...)
A new WTO publication launched on 28 January looks at how the rapid adoption of digital technologies can create challenges and opportunities for developing countries. The publication — written by chairholders and Advisory Board members of the WTO Chairs Programme and by WTO Secretariat staff — (...)
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the construction sector, which is sensitive to economic cycles. Yet, construction holds much potential to stimulate recovery, thanks to its potential to create jobs. Recovery measures can support the sector’s transformation towards (...)