Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 9 June called on WTO members to combat fragmentation of the global trading system as it would have a devastating impact on the world economy. Speaking at a High-Level Special Session of the Astana International Forum, the Director-General recalled the key outcomes of the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022 and underlined members’ priorities ahead of the 13th Ministerial Conference to be held in February 2024. She also highlighted the ongoing WTO accession process for several Central Asian countries.
The fourth edition of Trade and Environment Week, to be held from 12 to 16 June at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva and virtually, will focus this year on collaborative trade policies to tackle pressing environmental issues such as climate change, related natural disasters, pollution and biodiversity loss. The week will begin with a meeting of the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment followed by 18 thematic sessions bringing together government officials, business representatives, international organizations, academics and civil society. All sessions are open to the public.
