WTO update

 

27 Jun 2023 Latest news

Dear maria CHADZIDAKIS VAVOURANAKIS, Below are the news items published today on the WTO public website

NEWS ITEM China formally accepts Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies China deposited its instrument of acceptance for the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 27 June, affirming its support for the historic agreement for ocean sustainability as the world’s leading marine fishing producer. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received the instrument from Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Tianjin, China ahead of the World Economic Forum’s 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM Trade thoughts, from Geneva, by Anabel González, Deputy Director-General Five reasons to fear a global subsidy race and what to do about it Blog   ⟶

NEWS ITEM New submissions revitalise agriculture talks ahead of ministerial conference Trade officials discussed five new negotiating submissions on agriculture at meetings open to all members and observers on 21-22 June. The Chair of the agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy of Türkiye, commended members’ efforts to “translate new ideas into concrete inputs” ahead of the 13th Ministerial Conference in February 2024. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM WTO webinar looks at how South-South, multi-party cooperation supports developing economies A webinar held on 23 June under the auspices of the WTO Committee on Trade and Development explored how South-South trade and multi-party cooperation can help WTO developing economies address trade-related infrastructure constraints and boost their participation in global trade. “South-South trade and triangular cooperation hold tremendous promise for sustainable development,” Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said in his opening remarks. “Through open, rules-based trade, fast-growing developing economies can help ensure that their developing economy peers share in their growth.” News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM France commits EUR 1 million to WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism The government of France is contributing EUR 1 million (approximately CHF 969,957) to the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism to help developing members and least-developed country (LDC) members implement the landmark Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022. The contribution was confirmed at a signing ceremony with Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and France’s Minister responsible for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht, at the WTO on 23 June. Press release   ⟶

NEWS ITEM Trade Perspectives, by Xiangchen Zhang, Deputy Director-General Exploring pathways for LDC integration into global trade Blog   ⟶

NEWS ITEM E-commerce negotiators continue to seek “landing zones” on text proposals “Let’s keep the momentum up”, stressed the co-conveners of the e-commerce negotiations — Japan, Australia and Singapore — at their latest meeting with WTO members participating in the negotiations from 19 to 22 June 2023. They urged negotiators to consider carefully how the initiative can achieve the objective of securing substantial results by the end of the year, using the remaining four rounds of negotiations to find common ground on various issues. News item   ⟶