WTO: DDG Wolff urges WTO ministers to address the pandemic and make 2021 a year of action

DDG Wolff urges WTO ministers to address the pandemic and make 2021 a year of action Speaking to ministers from a cross-section of the WTO membership on 29 January, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff urged them to make 2021 "a year of substantial accomplishments" at the WTO by taking action on health, sustainability issues, and the joint statement initiatives. He urged that... Lees verder WTO DDGs call for heightened cooperation on vaccine availability The WTO's four Deputy Directors-General — Yonov Frederick Agah, Karl Brauner, Alan Wolff and Yi Xiaozhun — urged members on 1 February to step up cooperation in order to ensure worldwide access to vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. They issued the following statement: Lees verder Online Aid for Trade event to examine the impact of COVID-19 on developing countries The WTO will host an online event on 23-25 March to explore the trade-related challenges faced by developing countries in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The "Aid for Trade Stocktaking Event" will look into measures to assist developing and in particular least-developed countries increase their... Lees verder DDG Agah welcomes fifth cohort of WTO young professionals Deputy Director-General Frederick Yonov Agah welcomed the new cohort of young professionals to the WTO at a virtual welcoming ceremony on 3 February. Now in its fifth year, the Young Professionals Programme provides a unique opportunity for qualified individuals to spend a year at the WTO in order... Lees verder Online executive trade course under way for developing countries Sixty-two senior government officials from developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) are attending the WTO's first Virtual Executive Trade Course from 25 January to 12 March. The course aims at exploring linkages between WTO rules and governments' trade policies and looks into how trade can... Lees verder Participants in domestic regulation negotiations for services commit to maintain momentum Participants in the negotiations on services domestic regulation reaffirmed on 4 February their commitment to reaching a "meaningful" outcome by the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) when they met for the first time in 2021. Noting participants' intention to "maintain momentum", the Chair,... Lees verder DDG Wolff — WTO must demonstrate soon it can deliver In remarks delivered to the Washington International Trade Association on 9 February, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff said the WTO must be able to deliver soon and visibly on issues such as ensuring trade in essential goods during a health crisis, facilitating economic recovery and addressing... Lees verder WTO General Council to consider appointment of next Director-General The WTO's General Council will hold a special meeting on 15 February at 15:00 Geneva time to consider the appointment of the next Director-General. The meeting will take place in virtual format. Lees verder WTO launches "Trading during the COVID-19 pandemic" photo contest The WTO and the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) have launched a photo contest to showcase how world trade is supporting economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner will be announced at the WTO Aid for Trade Stocktaking Event to be held online on 23-25 March 2021. All photos must... Lees verder New system for applying for trade-related training activities now available online The WTO launched on 10 February an online portal to allow individuals to apply online for trade-related technical assistance and training activities. The courses are designed to help government officials and others, such as parliamentarians, strengthen their understanding of trade-related issues. Lees verder