Minister commends WTO meet, adopts declaration
The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) concluded in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the adoption of a ministerial declaration setting out a forward-looking reform agenda for the organisation.
Speaking in an interview, Minister of Trade and Industry Sosten Gwengwe described the conference as successful, saying matters that required convergence were done with a spirit of compromise.
“It was a good forum to advance global trade. Malawi, like any other least developed country had its voice presented not only as a country, but as an Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States bloc member,” he said.
The conference brought together nearly 4 000 ministers, senior trade officials and other delegates from the WTO’s 164-member countries and observers as well as representatives from civil society, business and the global media.
Initially scheduled for February 26 to 29, the conference was extended in a final push to reach outcomes on the various issues at stake.
Members adopted the Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration where they committed to preserve and strengthen the ability of the multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, to respond to current trade challenges.
The Ministerial Declaration underlines the centrality of the development dimension in the work of the WTO, recognising the role that the multilateral trading system can play in contributing towards the achievement of the United Nation 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
It also recognised the contribution of women’s economic empowerment and participation in trade to economic growth and sustainable development.
Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE and conference chairperson Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi thanked members for their active engagement during the conference.
WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said progress was made with contributions from members.
“Let’s continue to roll up our sleeves to advance this reform and deliver by 2024,” she said.
The ministers also adopted another Ministerial Decision that responds to a 23-year-old mandate to review special and differential treatment provisions for developing and LDCs to make them more precise, effective and operational
