Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized the crucial role of trade in transforming food systems in an address centred on food security at a UN summit held in Rome from 24 to 26 July. “We cannot solve the food systems problems we face without trade. We cannot achieve the food systems (...)
WTO members examined a “road map” for advancing talks on reform of the organization with regards to its deliberative function during a 24-25 July meeting of the General Council. Ambassador Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme of Botswana, the Chair of the General Council, outlined what she said were (...)
Members of the WTO elected H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, as Chairperson for the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), which will take place in Abu Dhabi. The decision was taken at a 24 July meeting of the WTO’s General (...)
Online registration for this year’s in-person Public Forum must be completed no later than 17 August 2023. Last-minute and onsite registrations will not be accepted for the event, which takes place from 12 to 15 September. Participation at the Forum is free of charge. Travel and accommodation (...)
The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 28 July 2023, of the Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members and oversees legal disputes among them. The meeting notice is circulated in the form of a document officially (...)
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on 21 July that digital trade holds great promise to act as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. “This promise is especially palpable in Africa,” she added. The Director-General was speaking at the launch of a joint (...)
At agriculture negotiating meetings open to all WTO members on 17-18 July, the Chair — Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy of Türkiye — praised the more concrete discussions among members on possible ways forward in the run-up to the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February 2024. He highlighted (...)
The G20 Labour and Employment Ministers' meeting highlighted the need to sustainably finance social protection, to extend social security to more workers, including in the gig and platform economy, and to address the global skills (...)
Twenty-two government officials from developing and least-developed countries completed on 20 July a four-day training course on trade and gender at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. Participants learned about how to integrate gender issues into trade policy-making and developed new skills to (...)