The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 23 September 2022, 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 called an “airgram”.
WTO members considered five regional trade agreements (RTAs) at the 22 September meeting of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements. The Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Taeho Lee of the Republic of Korea, called on members to step up efforts to provide outstanding data and comments for factual presentations of RTAs and to consider how the Committee’s work could be improved as part of efforts to reform the WTO.
Members of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender agreed to intensify work and organise focused discussions under the group’s current work plan at a meeting on 22 September. Members also expressed support for the WTO Secretariat’s work on a database of gender provisions in regional trade agreements (RTAs) and were updated on trends in inclusive trade policy-making and Aid for Trade programmes aimed at promoting women’s participation in trade.
The WTO Chairs Programme saw the launch of trade capacity-building activities at the Universidad de los Andes (UDLA) in Bogotá, Colombia, at an event held on 22 September. Under the Programme, academic experts provide trade-related advice to government officials and policymakers, teach students and future trade experts and undertake new research in international trade law and economic policy. UDLA is part of a global network of 36 institutions participating in the Programme.
