The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on 31 March 2023, 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”.

31 March 2023

A two-week Advanced Course on Topical Intellectual Property (IP) Policy Issues, jointly organized by the WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), concluded on 31 March. The event focused on new and emerging issues that intersect with intellectual property and public policy. Over 20 IP officials from developing country members came together to share national perspectives on use of IP as a public policy tool in the areas of climate change, green technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and public health.

31 March 2023

Taking account of women’s perspectives is crucial not only to raise awareness of the challenges they face in terms of gender equality but also to achieve sustainable peace through trade in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAs), said Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang on 31 March. Delivering opening remarks at a webinar titled “A trade for peace perspective on women’s empowerment in FCAs”, DDG Zhang stressed that the WTO’s Trade for Peace Programme can offer a platform to discuss concrete actions in support of women entrepreneurs and businesses in these countries.

31 March 2023

The WTO’s annual Public Forum, to be held from 12 to 15 September 2023, will focus this year on how trade can contribute to a greener, more sustainable future. The Forum will examine in particular how the services sector, digitalisation and inclusive trade policies can support global environmental goals and help combat the climate crisis.

30 March 2023

Participants in the negotiations on e-commerce discussed development-related proposals and data flow issues at their 27-30 March meetings. Members sought convergence on several topics, with a call from the co-convenors of the negotiations — Australia, Japan and Singapore —for more flexibility, creativity and leadership to help drive convergence and conclude negotiations by the end of 2023. The co-convenors also outlined principles underpinning the legal architecture for a future agreement on e-commerce.

30 March 2023

In a keynote speech at the Future Trade Forum organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on 29 March in Singapore, WTO Deputy Director-General Anabel González commended businesses and workers worldwide for their contribution to keeping trade flowing despite multiple crises. Thanking ICC Secretary General John Denton for his strong support for multilateralism, she called on business leaders to join forces with all other stakeholders to help revitalize the WTO and adapt rules-based trade to the economic and political imperatives of the 21st century.

29 March 2023

Food security: The key to unlocking agriculture negotiations at the WTO?

28 March 2023

Delivering a keynote speech at the Georgetown University Global Trade Academy in Washington DC on 28 March, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard said the future of globalisation will be determined by services and digitization. We need to make sure, therefore, we have adequate rules regulating services and the digital economy at the global level, she added. The full text of her speech is below.

28 March 2023

At a meeting of the Agriculture Committee on 27-28 March, WTO members vowed to intensify their efforts to address the severe food security crisis, which is especially challenging for least developed countries (LDCs) and net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs). Members were updated on the progress of the new work programme on food security and discussed new proposals aimed at enhancing transparency and the functioning of the committee. Also, members approved Tonga’s request to join the list of NFIDCs.

28 March 2023

WTO members considered regional trade agreements (RTAs) between the United Kingdom and the European Union, Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) States and Japan at the 27 March meeting of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements. They also considered RTAs between India and Mauritius, and Türkiye and Serbia. Members furthermore discussed how to improve the functioning of the Committee.

27 March 2023