World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stressed the critical need for a package of “deep and thorough” reform proposals to be agreed upon by members for consideration at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March 2026. This urgent call was made during a meeting of the General Council on May 20-21, where the Director-General emphasized that such reforms are essential for the WTO to maintain its relevance in the evolving global trade landscape.
Reporting in her capacity as Chair of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that WTO reform was a central theme in her recent high-level discussions with leaders and ministers in Japan and the Republic of Korea.
“Prime Minister Ishiba (of Japan) and his ministers of trade, foreign affairs and finance, along with virtually every APEC minister that I met in Jeju, have bought into the idea that we must not waste a crisis, and that we need deep and thorough reform of the WTO if it is to remain relevant,” DG Okonjo-Iweala stated. “For a successful MC14, we must act here in Geneva to deliver a package of reform proposals for ministers to consider and bless at MC14. Nothing short of this can reposition this organization in the way and form needed.”
The Director-General’s engagements included meetings with Prime Minister Ishiba and other senior Japanese government officials in Tokyo on May 13, followed by her participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum trade ministers’ meeting in Jeju, Republic of Korea, on May 15-16.
WTO members at their 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022 first agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of the organization’s functions. This commitment aims to ensure the WTO’s capacity to effectively address challenges facing the multilateral trading system and leverage opportunities presented by contemporary global trade developments.
While acknowledging that ministers she met “made clear they value the system, they also admitted it cannot continue the way it is,” DG Okonjo-Iweala underscored the persistent issue of members “sweeping things under the carpet and not solving problems.” She added, “I think what has brought us here is the inability to solve problems when they occur, and this has led to unilateral actions, instead of a cooperative approach to solve these problems. It has taken time for members to admit that things are not working as well as they should, and that they want solutions.”
The Director-General expressed satisfaction with ongoing work on potential deliverables for MC14, including further progress on fisheries subsidies, agriculture, the Investment Facilitation for Development initiative, electronic commerce, and issues pertinent to least developed countries (LDCs). Members will review progress on these critical areas at the next TNC meeting in July to determine which packages are ready for decision at MC14.
She also welcomed the significant progress in member acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, noting that 99 members have now accepted the Agreement, with only 12 more acceptances required for its entry into force.
Following the Director-General’s intervention, twenty-six delegations, some representing groups of members, offered their perspectives. Discussions focused on a suggested roadmap for MC14 prepared by the WTO Secretariat, with members highlighting key areas of interest such as WTO reform, new disciplines on fisheries subsidies, progress on agriculture, the e-commerce moratorium, and industrial policy.
Separately, the General Council Chair, Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), announced his intention to initiate consultations with interested delegations immediately following the General Council meeting. These consultations will focus on advancing work in three key areas: WTO reform, dispute settlement reform, and the process for preparing a possible MC14 outcome document.
“With MC14 taking place in 10 months, time is not on our side,” Ambassador Almoqbel stated, emphasizing the urgency of these consultations.
