The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on members of the global trade body to build on the substantive outcomes reached at its recently held 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12).
According to her, efforts should be sustained so that the organisation continues to respond to the many challenges faced by the multilateral trading system.
Speaking at a meeting of the General Council yesterday, a statement obtained on the WTO website quoted Okonjo-Iweala to have said in light of a changing global economy, the WTO needs to continue delivering for more people around the world.
She urged members to build on MC12 success to revitalise WTO core functions
"Delivering results last month has generated expectations for more in the future," said the DG, highlighting the many expressions of support she has received in recent weeks in her meetings with leaders from around the world for the unprecedented package of outcomes reached at MC12.
"We need to use this support and momentum by continuing our efforts to revitalise or reinvigorate all of the WTO core functions so that we can remain fit-for-purpose in a changing global economy and continue to deliver more for people around the world," she added.
Okonjo-Iweala urged members not to be lulled into complacency following the MC12 success and to start implementing outcomes as soon as possible.
On fisheries subsidies, she stressed that the historic agreement reached at MC12 would only be effective once it enters into force.
"The urgent situation of the oceans and our fisheries makes it imperative to get this done as soon as possible. This means that each member has to take action in accordance with its own system to formally accept the agreement and deposit its instrument of acceptance with the WTO Secretariat," she said.
"We normally take quite a long time to ratify agreements here, but I'm hoping that in this case, given the urgency of the situation, we should target months, not years to get this done."
Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the importance given by leaders and ministers to the TRIPS decision, in particular regarding the possible extension of the waiver compromise to diagnostics and therapeutics as COVID-19 continues to spread across world.
"I look forward to the discussions. On my part, I would like to encourage delegations to work expeditiously towards a mutually agreeable solution," she said.
On food security, she noted the many expressions of praise for the Decision on World Food Programme (WFP) Food Purchases Exemptions from Export Prohibitions or Restrictions and the Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity.
She called on members, "to work together to ensure that the WTO continuously and effectively contributes to addressing the current food crisis," including by implementing both MC12 food security decisions.
She also referred to the joint statement issued on July 15, by the heads of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Food Programme and the WTO, calling for urgent action to address the global food security crisis.
Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the recent signing of an agreement to send Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, with the hope that it would work, especially for the 378 million people going hungry in the world.
"We also look forward to this agreement facilitating trade in fertilisers and other inputs. We are strongly keeping our fingers crossed that this hopeful sign that we see will manifest itself in practical terms," she said.
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On agriculture, Okonjo-Iweala said members could not make headway at MC12 on a work programme and asked for "new thinking" moving forward to break the stalemate in the negotiations, which started in 2000.
She supported the idea of organising a members' retreat after the August break to devise new ideas.
"This will help catalyse new approaches and new ways of trying to do business in agriculture," she said. "People have been waiting for more than two decades ... and I think if we put our minds to it we can deliver, and we will deliver."
As a sign of good will, Okonjo-Iweala asked members to reach a quick agreement to elect a new chair of the agriculture negotiations, following the departure of Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta of Costa Rica.
