Just ahead of International Women’s Day, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel underscored the critical role of multilateralism in fostering international collaboration and expanding women’s participation in global trade.
Dr. Merkel delivered the seventh lecture in the Presidential Lecture Series at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva on March 7, 2025. Having served as Germany’s Chancellor from 2005 to 2021, she was the first woman to hold this office.
Titled “Empowering Women Through Multilateral Cooperation,” Dr. Merkel’s lecture emphasized the need to establish rules and standards that ensure women have equal access to economic opportunities. She highlighted how the diversification of supply chains offers unique opportunities for women, particularly in emerging and developing economies, urging countries to tap into a broader talent pool that could drive innovation and economic growth.
The former Chancellor praised global institutions like the WTO for their initiatives, such as the Informal Working Group on Women and Trade, which generate empirical evidence of how multilateralism can benefit women. She also noted the WTO’s collaboration with organizations like the World Bank, the International Development Fund (IDF), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to advance policies that promote women’s participation in the global economy. These partnerships aim to create equitable trade policies that guarantee women’s access to finance and economic opportunities in global markets.
Beyond advocating for women’s rights, Dr. Merkel discussed the broader significance of multilateralism in achieving economic stability. Acknowledging the current challenges facing multilateral cooperation, she urged the audience to remain committed to the accomplishments of international collaboration, including economic growth and poverty reduction over the past decades.
She also stressed the crucial role of the WTO, which accounts for 98 percent of global trade. Dr. Merkel emphasized the organization’s vital contribution to global economic stability, promoting open, fair markets that benefit both industrialized and developing countries. Drawing on lessons from past global economic crises, she highlighted how governments and international organizations have played pivotal roles in mitigating financial and health crises and enabling economic resilience.
One of the key areas Dr. Merkel highlighted for future attention was the restoration of the WTO Appellate Body. She emphasized the importance of a functioning Appellate Body in enforcing trade agreements and maintaining the credibility of the WTO. The restoration of this body, she noted, will be central to the future of global trade governance.
In reflecting on the complexities of multilateralism, Dr. Merkel pointed to the European Union as an example. She acknowledged that while the EU is a challenging and complicated model, it has proven that with sufficient political will, multilateralism can offer win-win solutions for all. She expressed hope that international trade leaders would recognize the value of consensus-building and not dismiss the potential for mutual benefits that such a path offers.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her welcoming remarks, praised Dr. Merkel as a “stalwart supporter” of multilateralism and the WTO. She described Merkel as a “central actor on the global stage” throughout her 16 years in office, which spanned numerous economic and health crises. DG Okonjo-Iweala also addressed the ongoing gender gaps in political and business leadership, both within societies and organizations such as the WTO. “For all the progress we’ve made, there’s still much more to do. But Dr. Merkel has helped us envision a more equal world,” she said, noting that when Olaf Scholz succeeded Merkel as Chancellor in December 2021, it marked the first time a generation of German boys saw the country’s top job held by a man.
