Delivering a lecture on the future of the world trading system at the American University in Washington D.C. on 8 November, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff called for vigorous sustained support from the private sector and from leaders in the world’s legislators so that progress can be (...)
WTO members started their regular three-year review of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement, proposing ideas on how to improve implementation of the Agreement at a TBT Committee meeting on 8-9 November. They also discussed 61 trade concerns, including seven new ones concerning (...)
At its 331st Session, the International Labour Organization's Governing Body recognized progress made by Qatar, and welcomed its commitment to ensuring fundamental principles and rights at work for all workers and the resulting breakthrough to end the “kafala” sponsorship (...)
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo met on 7 November with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang to discuss the state of play in WTO work ahead of the organization’s 11th Ministerial Conference, to be held in Buenos Aires in (...)
At a meeting of the WTO’s Committee on Trade Facilitation on 3 November, members for the first time engaged in substantive discussions on ongoing efforts to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which formally entered into force last (...)
WTO members raised a range of trade concerns on pesticides in food products at the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) on 2-3 November. Meanwhile, they were unable to bridge gaps on a proposed decision on pesticide residues at the forthcoming 11th Ministerial Conference (...)
At the 31 October-3 November meeting of the Negotiating Group on Rules (NGR), members discussed in detail a previously-circulated text compiling seven earlier proposals, with a number of members suggesting insertions and other amendments to that text. Members also exchanged views on areas of (...)
Trade and investment are fundamental in helping countries successfully integrate into the global economy, said Director-General Roberto Azevêdo in a speech to the High-Level Forum on Facilitating Trade and Investment for Development in Abuja, Nigeria, on 2 November. He highlighted that many (...)
Speaking at a workshop organized by the “Friends of MSMEs” on 31 October, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo highlighted the importance of raising awareness of the obstacles that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face. He outlined some of the steps taken by the WTO to respond to the (...)
Speaking at a Trade Dialogues conference on “Technology, Globalisation and World Trade Governance” on 30 October, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo highlighted the important role the multilateral trading system can play to help maximise the opportunities presented by technology and to mitigate any (...)