WTO: Members review proposals on improving implementation of Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement

Members review proposals on improving implementation of Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement At a meeting of the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) on 23-26 February, WTO members discussed various proposals submitted under the Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement. The review aims at developing a set of recommendations by the Committee on how to improve the implementation of... Lees verder DG Okonjo-Iweala: WTO can deliver results if members "accept we can do things differently" Addressing the WTO General Council immediately after taking office on 1 March, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on members to "do things differently" to achieve reforms necessary to keep the WTO relevant, starting with swift action to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, and to help scale... Lees verder This year holds great promise for WTO and multilateral system — DDG Wolff Speaking at a General Council meeting on 1 March, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff welcomed Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her first day as Director-General. He said that 2021 holds great promise for the WTO and looked forward to a very positive future for the organization under DG Okonjo-Iweala's... Lees verder Trade Policy Review: Saudi Arabia The third review of the trade policies and practices of Saudi Arabia takes place on 3 and 5 March 2021. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Saudi Arabia. Lees verder Talks kick off for Brazil's accession to government procurement pact Parties to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) initiated negotiations on 3 March on Brazil's accession to the GPA at a virtual meeting of the Committee on Government Procurement. This was the Committee's first meeting since Brazil circulated in February its initial market access offer, a key... Lees verder WTO members adopt roadmap to review implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement The WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation on 3 March adopted a roadmap for the first ever review of progress made in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Under the Agreement, members committed to review the operation and implementation of the TFA four years from its entry into force,... Lees verder WTO chairpersons for 2021 The WTO General Council, on 4 March 2021, noted the consensus on a slate of names of chairpersons for WTO bodies. Lees verder DDG Wolff: AfCFTA and WTO can help "knit together" Africa in peace and prosperity Regional and multilateral integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and WTO membership can help to "knit together an African continent that has been forever fragmented," Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff said on 4 March. Speaking at the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace... Lees verder First meeting held to advance work on trade and environmental sustainability The first meeting of WTO members taking part in a new initiative aimed at advancing work on trade and environmental sustainability took place virtually on 5 March. Participants outlined their views on what the priority issues for discussion should be and what concrete outcomes could be delivered... Lees verder DG Okonjo-Iweala hits the ground running Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala finished her first week at the WTO by meeting with ambassadors and groups of members for solutions-oriented conversations aimed at finding ways for the organization to deliver results in 2021 and beyond. She kicked off her tenure by attending the General Council... Lees verder