Speaking at the 6th South-South Dialogue on Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Development on 28 September in Lausanne, Switzerland, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that the upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) provides an opportunity to achieve trade outcomes in support of LDCs’ development objectives. She encouraged members to continue to maintain a focus on LDC needs, including those in the process of graduating from LDC status.
Twenty-eight government officials from developing and least developed country (LDC) members attended on 25-27 September the WTO’s sixth workshop on import licensing and notifications, the first in-person edition since the COVID-19 pandemic. Organized by the Market Access Division and the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), the event addressed capacity constraints and complex notification requirements. It also contributed to determining what kind of WTO technical assistance is most needed in this area.
The third review of the trade policies and practices of Jordan takes place on 27 and 29 September 2023. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Jordan.
As part of their discussions on WTO reform, members held an informal retreat at the organization’s headquarters on 25-26 September for focused talks on trade and industrial policy. The retreat was held to facilitate WTO deliberations on the interface between trade and industrial policy and to identify possible pathways and outcomes in the run-up to several important high-level meetings on the WTO calendar.
