WTO Reform Week Concludes With 'Constructive And Positive Exchanges' Among Members

(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global) GENEVA, Switzerland – At a meeting with World Trade Organisation (WTO) members on 8 December, the facilitator on WTO reform, ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, shared his assessment of Reform Week, which took place from 2 to 5 December.

“Although considerable work still lies ahead,” the facilitator, said:“I believe we now have a solid building block that will help us advance our efforts when we return in January.”

Related: 14th WTO Ministerial Conference

The purpose of Reform Week was to refine the elements on WTO reform that could be presented to ministers for their consideration at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March 2026.

The Week addressed three main topics: i) decision making, ii) development and special and differential treatment, and iii) a level playing field.

The discussions followed rounds of consultations held since June 2025 and were largely based on summary documents of those consultations, capturing challenges facing members in the three areas under discussion and the approaches to those issues that could be presented to ministers at MC14 for their consideration.

The discussions were organised with four groups of members, spanning the WTO membership, with the group meetings open to other members to listen in.

While divergent views were expressed on substantive matters, the Facilitator reported“constructive and positive exchanges” among the members.

“The Reform Week underscored that we have made tangible progress in the substantive discussions since we began in June,” ambassador Ølberg, said.“We have moved from initial conversations about reaffirming the Preamble (of the Marrakech Agreement), and assessing what works and what does not, toward identifying specific areas of focus, defining concrete challenges, and considering possible approaches to address them.”

On decision-making, the facilitator underscored that no member questions the practice of decision-making by consensus. However, he noted a shared frustration with the challenges members face in reaching decisions. These concerns range from difficulties in participating effectively in processes and hesitancy in joining consensus to seemingly perpetual impasse in negotiations, limited outcomes, unfulfilled mandates, and enforcement challenges stemming from the situation in WTO dispute settlement.

WTO members emphasised that development should not be equated solely with special and differential treatment, the facilitator reported. Ambassador Ølberg noted that no member challenged special and differential treatment as such. However, views differed on the challenges that have been captured so far through the consultations and the approaches to be presented to ministers at MC14.

On the issue of the level playing field, the facilitator said:

“We should acknowledge the progress made in identifying potential areas for the level-playing-field discussions.”

Ambassador Ølberg noted initial hesitation when members began the process, but said he was encouraged by the greater willingness of many members to engage on level-playing-field issues.

During the week, WTO members observed that focusing only on decision-making, development and special and differential treatment, and level-playing-field issues is insufficient to resolve the WTO's current structural challenges. Members also highlighted the importance of other foundational questions, including a broader discussion on what members expect and need from the WTO.

The facilitator announced that he will prepare a report that captures the key issues and perspectives expressed by all members.

Ambassador Ølberg stressed:

“Many view this report as a tool to facilitate your work when we reconvene in January, with the goal of achieving clear guidance from ministers on post-MC14 reform efforts. Related to this are the suggestions for a possible balanced Reform Plan, including proposed modalities for post-MC14 work.”

Ambassador Ølberg plans to circulate his report in advance of the next General Council meeting, which will take place on 16-17 December, to allow members and senior officials sufficient time to review it ahead of the meeting.

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