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WTO: DDG Zhang: Both AfCFTA and WTO are important to support Africa’s growth and prosperity

DDG Zhang: Both AfCFTA and WTO are important to support Africa's growth and prosperity
Trade is a fundamental driver of growth, and both the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the WTO are key to helping African countries achieve economic prosperity, Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang noted on 7 September at a conference organized by 13 African members of the WTO Chairs Programme. He called on the chairs to support the implementation of outcomes of the 12th Ministerial Conference and expressed the hope that the chairs can "provide great insights on interactions and complementarities between the WTO and the AfCFTA".
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WTO announces winner of 2022 Essay Award for Young Economists
The winner of the 2022 WTO Essay Award for Young Economists is Mathilde Muñoz of Berkeley Stones Center, University of California. Her paper, "Trading Non-Tradables: The Implications of Europe's Job Posting Policy", was ranked first by the Selection Panel. She was presented with her prize of CHF 5,000 at the annual meeting of the European Trade Study Group in Groningen (the Netherlands) on 8 September 2022.
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DG Okonjo-Iweala expressed sorrow on the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala issued the following statement on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:
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WTO to provide coaching help to developing country team coaches in Moot Court Competition
Coaching assistance will be made available by the WTO to coaches of teams from developing and least developed countries participating in the annual John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law. The coaching sessions will run from 14 to 29 September and require prior registration.
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WTO, OECD to redouble collaborative efforts in addressing challenges of the global commons
A high-level delegation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), led by Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, visited the WTO on 13 September and met with Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard. The visit was part of an initiative to deepen collaboration between international organizations and to underline Geneva's importance as a multilateral hub where key decisions for the lives of people across the globe are taken. The WTO and the OECD share a long-standing and fruitful history of collaboration in areas such as subsidies, trade and international cooperation.
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WTO Chairs Programme sees launch of trade capacity-building activities in Ecuador
Trade capacity-building activities under the WTO Chairs Programme were launched at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar (UASB) in Quito, Ecuador, on 14 September. Opening the high-level event, WTO Deputy Director-General Anabel González said: "We are proud to have grown this global network of academic institutions to 36 Chairs, including eight institutions in Latin America. In joining the Programme, Ecuador brings new momentum and fresh perspectives to the most pressing trade issues facing the Latin American region."
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Agriculture meeting highlights food security, urgency of implementing MC12 outcomes
Food security was the main focus of the meeting of the WTO's Committee on Agriculture on 14-15 September as WTO members discussed how to act quickly amid the ongoing polycrisis to implement outcomes reached at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), in particular those related to food security and the WTO response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members continued examining each other's farm policies to ensure compliance with WTO rules while working across other implementation issues relevant to the Bali and Nairobi ministerial decisions.
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E-commerce talks resume following summer break, Mauritius joins the initiative
Participants in the negotiations on e-commerce continued to seek convergence on various topics in the negotiations during their 12-15 September meetings. The co-convenors of the negotiations — Australia, Japan and Singapore — welcomed Mauritius as a new participant, bringing the total number of WTO members participating in the e-commerce initiative to 87.
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Public Forum programme is now available
This year's Public Forum, entitled "Towards a sustainable and inclusive recovery: ambition to action", will feature 144 sessions from 27 to 30 September. All sessions will be organized by WTO member governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, academia and international organizations, with many sessions livestreamed on the WTO website.
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Items proposed for consideration at the next meeting of Dispute Settlement Body
The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 23 September 2022, of the Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members and oversees legal disputes among them. The meeting notice is circulated in the form of a document officially called an "airgram".
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