The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged member countries to use the organization as a platform for dialogue and engagement to address rising global trade tensions.
She emphasized the need for cooperation in tackling challenges such as protectionism, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical conflicts to ensure a stable global economy.
Okonjo-Iweala spoke at the first 2025 meeting of the WTO’s General Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
Her remarks came as China’s Ambassador to the WTO, Li Chenggang, criticized the U.S. for its unilateral tariffs, highlighting their negative impact.
He urged Dr. Okonjo-Iweala to work toward their removal and called on all parties to uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, a message that resonated strongly with the audience.
Addressing the Council, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala emphasized the need to strengthen the multilateral trading system, stressing its role in providing stability and opportunities for all members.
“The WTO was created precisely to manage times like these — to provide a space for dialogue, prevent conflicts from spiralling, and support an open, predictable trading environment.
“Let us make full use of this platform to engage with one another in good faith, address concerns constructively and calmly, and explore cooperative solutions that uphold and enhance the balance of global trade relations,” the WTO DG stated.
A total of 32 members took the floor following her remarks.
Overall, members highlighted the WTO’s role in promoting global economic growth and development, especially for developing and least-developed countries.
Many speakers urged restraint in actions that could weaken the system and emphasized the need to uphold WTO principles and rules.
Okonjo-Iweala noted that she has been engaging with WTO members to discuss the broader geopolitical landscape and explore ways the organization can respond to current challenges.
“The key message I have shared is that amid the current uncertainties, we must maintain cool heads and remain open to dialogue,” she said.
She informed members that the WTO Secretariat is upgrading the Tariff Analysis Online database in response to member feedback.
The new database, named WTO Tariff and Trade Data, is set to launch in the WTO’s Committee on Market Access on March 4.
“This will be a much more user-friendly system that will facilitate tariff and trade analysis,” she said. As you consider today’s emerging tariff issues, the Secretariat is there to assist any member requiring assistance in analysing the tariff situation.”
In her remarks, Okonjo-Iweala emphasized the need to leverage the current situation to advance WTO reforms.
“I encourage all of you to view this moment as an inflection point — an opportunity to think more strategically and purposefully about what we want from this organisation and how we can make it more results-driven,” she added.
She noted that leaders, ministers, and stakeholders she recently engaged with expect the WTO to tackle longstanding issues and adapt to today’s global trade landscape, emphasizing that “it’s time to return to the negotiating table in earnest.”
