WTO Chief Calls for Trade Overhaul to Meet New World Order
WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala urged members to overhaul trade rules during a meeting in Cameroon. She warned that the old world order has changed irrevocably.
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, opened a critical four-day ministerial summit in Cameroon on Thursday, declaring that the global trade landscape has been permanently altered. Addressing delegates at the Palais des Congres in Yaounde, Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that the previous era of international cooperation has ended, necessitating a comprehensive overhaul of global trade regulations to meet a new world order.
"The world order and multilateral system we used to know has irrevocably changed."
The gathering occurs amid heightened global instability, including trade friction sparked by tariffs from the United States and broader regional conflicts, such as the war involving Israel and Iran. Diplomats and trade officials have cautioned that a failure to reach a consensus on reforms could lead nations to abandon the rules-based multilateral system in favor of independent, fragmented regulations.
Okonjo-Iweala identified several systemic issues within the WTO, most notably the paralysis of its dispute-settlement mechanism and a consensus-based decision-making model that is frequently stalled by individual member objections. She also highlighted a significant lack of transparency regarding national subsidies, which she argued undermines global cooperation and breeds suspicion of unfairness.
"Lack of transparency leads to lack of trust, and that breeds suspicions of unfairness and anti-competitive behaviours."
Internal documents indicate a divide among major economic powers regarding the path forward. While the United Kingdom, China, and the European Union support a detailed work plan for reform, the United States has shown resistance to specific frameworks. This deadlock has prompted warnings from other member states about the organization's future relevance.
Ambassador Erwin Bollinger of Switzerland expressed concern that the WTO risks losing its attractiveness if concrete results are not achieved during the session. UK trade minister Chris Bryant echoed these sentiments, warning that a failure to reach an agreement this week could result in a breakdown of the existing trade order.
"If we dont achieve anything concrete, the WTO will lose its attractiveness and relevancy."
"My anxiety is if we ministers dont get this week right, you might see a disorderly collapse of the WTO and some people writing a new rulebook."
Further friction is expected over digital trade. India is prepared to oppose efforts by the U.S. to extend a global moratorium on cross-border e-commerce duties. While New Delhi argues that developing nations should retain the right to impose such duties, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to push for a permanent extension of the ban rather than a temporary compromise.
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