Malawi, others dared on international trade
World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has dared member States, including Malawi to demonstrate leadership and seize the full potential of the multilateral trading system to reap from international trade.
In her opening address to the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference underway in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, she said countries should also accelerate the green transition and foster socio-economic inclusion around the world.
Said Okonjo-Iweala: “Trade runs through this nation’s blood. The UAE testifies to how trade can improve lives and livelihoods of people and transform a small or non-diversified economy into a formidable, resilient and prosperous one.”
Recalling the successful outcome of the previous conference in June 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland where 10 consensus multilateral outcomes with tangible benefits for people and the planet were achieved, she said member States sent a powerful signal that the WTO can respond to contemporary challenges through strategic cooperation in pursuit of shared goals.
“Success is changing the tone about the WTO, both outside and within it. We will always have our naysayers and detractors but there is no doubt that members have shown that we can deliver when members roll up their sleeves and muster the requisite political will,” said Okonjo-Iweala.
She said during the last several weeks, the atmosphere in their preparatory discussions in Geneva were constructive and conducive.
Said Okonjo-Iweala: “Our challenge this week is to prove that we can still deliver and demonstrate that MC12 was not a one-off miracle on Lake Geneva, we need to convert improved atmospherics into concrete results.
“We need to show the world that not only does the WTO underpin over three-quarters of global goods commerce. It is also a forum where members deliver new benefits for people through trade.”
In his welcoming speech to the Conference, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, who is also chairing the summit, stressed the historical important role the WTO has played to provide “stability, transparency and predictability for international trade”.
During the meeting, WTO members will be seeking to secure “deliverables” during their four-day meeting in areas such as fisheries subsidies, agriculture, WTO reform, and development, e-commerce, services and investment facilitation.
In an interview, Minister of Trade and Industry Sosten Gwenge said the conference is being held at an opportune time when countries are recovering from numerous global shocks including geopolitical tension, climate change and Covid-19 pandemic among others.
“Malawi is optimistic that the WTO can deliver on addressing these challenges. Equity, transparency, special differential treatment should remain an integral part of all the WTO ongoing reforms,” he said.
