DG Okonjo-Iweala to members: Use the WTO as a platform to engage
Geneva, 18 February 2025 – Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urged members today to use the WTO as a platform to engage on all issues, reiterating that it is the only global organization dealing with trade rules.
“We have a lot we can work on together and let me assure you that my door is always open,” she said. “The WTO is your platform, so use it.”
Her remarks came at an informal meeting of the General Council with members, held as part of ongoing consultations with all delegations in the lead-up to the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) scheduled for 2025.
DG Okonjo-Iweala stressed that the upcoming Ministerial Conference was an opportunity to set the direction of the WTO for the next two years. She highlighted that the WTO had a full agenda to work with and this included a wide range of issues, from ongoing negotiations to addressing global challenges such as food security and climate change.
“MC13 could not come at a more opportune time. It could not come at a more challenging time,” she stated. “Challenging, because the world is grappling with multiple crises but opportune, because we have the chance to respond to these crises and shape the future of our economies, trade and development.”
The Director-General noted that members were currently engaged in various negotiating initiatives, including fisheries subsidies, e-commerce and investment facilitation. She also outlined the ongoing work on a number of other issues. These included:
- The WTO Agri-Food Trade and Early Warning System;
- Climate change mitigation and trade;
- Trade and gender; and
- Trade and services.
She stressed that the WTO had a key role to play in helping members address common challenges, such as food security and the economic fallout of the pandemic.
“The WTO can and should be a forum to discuss and find solutions to these issues, which affect all of us,” DG Okonjo-Iweala said.
She said that she expected MC13 to be a “substantial” Ministerial Conference, and called for members to “engage fully” with the process.
“This is our opportunity to show the world that the WTO remains indispensable and relevant, that we can deliver on our mandates, and that we can make a positive impact on the lives of people around the world,” she said.
DG Okonjo-Iweala to members: Use the WTO as a platform to engage
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