GENEVA, June 25, 2024 — Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has emphasized the critical role of the WTO Chairs Programme in making trade inclusive and sustainable at the annual conference in Geneva.
Speaking at the WTO Chairs Programme Annual Conference, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the importance of academic research in shaping trade policies that benefit diverse sections of society. Addressing participants from around the globe, she commended the programme’s efforts to ensure trade’s positive impact on women, young people, indigenous populations, and the environment.
“The network’s academic research is helping governments and other stakeholders ensure that trade benefits all sections of society, including women, young people, and indigenous populations — and that it benefits the planet,” said DG Okonjo-Iweala.
Participants discussed various trade-related projects involving research, curriculum development, and policy outreach conducted in collaboration with the WTO Secretariat. The Director-General emphasized the critical role of the Chairs network in providing insights from the ground level to inform WTO’s agenda.
“The Chairs network has a vital role to play in relaying to us the real problems and needs on the ground that should inform our agenda here in Geneva,” DG Okonjo-Iweala remarked. “It functions like a set of eyes and ears for the WTO, bridging the gap between Geneva and the places you are based.”
The conference also reviewed the activities of the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises, which supports businesses, and the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, which aims to mainstream gender issues in trade discussions. The involvement of several Chairs in the WTO Gender Research Hub was highlighted, underscoring their contribution to gender-sensitive trade policies.
DG Okonjo-Iweala noted the mandate from the 13th Ministerial Conference to advance work on trade and gender. “As we work towards the reglobalization of trade and towards putting the WTO on a solid footing for its next thirty years, members will continue benefitting from the innovative thinking and fresh perspectives [the Chairs network] brings to the WTO’s legacy and to emerging issues,” she said.
The programme currently includes 35 universities. Earlier this year, DG Okonjo-Iweala visited Chairs in Chile, Peru, and Uzbekistan to further strengthen collaboration.
Trudi Hartzenberg, Academic Advisory Board Member of the Chairs Programme and Executive Director of the Trade Law Centre in South Africa, stressed the urgency of a multilateral trading system that works for all. “The stakes for a multilateral trading system that makes trade work for all have never been higher. Rebuilding trust in the power of collective action to eradicate poverty, inequality, and exclusion requires that we take bold and innovative steps supported by evidence-based research and policies. It also requires that we make sure that trade opportunities are accessible for marginalized communities, across and within countries,” Hartzenberg stated.
In the coming months, the Chairs network will focus on projects related to digital trade, environmental sustainability, export diversification, the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, food security, and global and regional value chains, among other topics. This continued collaboration aims to ensure that trade remains a powerful tool for global development and equality.
