WTO members attended a retreat on 16 January in Geneva to look at ways of responding to the challenges that developing economies and least-developed countries face when engaging in trade. Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in her opening remarks: “The development dimension remains central to furthering the Organization’s purpose of raising living standards, creating jobs and advancing sustainable development.”
DG Okonjo-Iweala added: “The world is rapidly changing. This retreat offers a unique opportunity to begin to think differently and use this Organization to get results.”
Highlighting that the WTO can help to further global cooperation and resilience, DG Okonjo-Iweala stressed: “Many developing economies have used trade successfully as a tool to advance their economy and development. But not everyone benefited from this. How can we better use trade to advance the interests of those who have not benefited?”
The chair of the General Council, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, underscored the crucial role trade plays in advancing development. He said: “Let’s ensure that trade continues to drive development by delivering tangible results, particularly for the most vulnerable economies.”
