Nigeria's WTO Ambassador, Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid, stated that Africa could significantly benefit from the WTO agreements' special and differential treatment provisions to enhance its digital trade capabilities. He emphasized that tailored technical assistance and capacity-building programs could help African governments improve their skillsets and reduce the gap in digital connectivity and infrastructure with the rest of the world. Ambassador Abdulhamid noted that increased technology transfer would make Africa's digitalization efforts more effective.
Guyana's Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, highlighted that the 2024 Investment Act and other governmental initiatives are aiding farmers in accessing new regional and global markets. She pointed out that developing economies face unique challenges and would benefit from greater fairness, predictability, and transparency in global markets. This would help them gain better access to essential food supplies and build resilient food systems. Special provisions addressing non-tariff barriers, innovation, and stronger support mechanisms would assist vulnerable countries in recovering from economic and climate-induced crises.
Guatemala's Vice Minister of Integration and Foreign Trade, Héctor José Marroquín Mora, underscored the significance of special provisions in increasing trade opportunities in the textiles sector. He mentioned that technical assistance, transition periods for compliance with standards, and technology transfer are crucial for Guatemala to diversify production. Minister Marroquín Mora also emphasized the importance of special provisions within the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement aimed at expediting goods movement.
The World Bank's Chief Economist, Indermit Gill, suggested that the WTO members' classification system should be more detailed to better address each member economy's specific needs for special treatment. Presenting the 2024 World Development Report, he noted that middle-income economies face shrinking prospects for transitioning to high-income status due to increased fragmentation and climate change. He called for more sophisticated policies focusing on production competitiveness, social mobility, and energy transition.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala remarked: "The three Bretton Woods institutions must keep working together towards greater coherence. By reconnecting, we can better serve the world to solve global issues. Historically, when jobs were lost, we needed governments to have active labour market policies - trade alone could not bring solutions."
In a high-level session on inclusivity moderated by Australia's Permanent Representative James Baxter, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan joined Director-General Okonjo-Iweala in discussing the economic case for inclusivity. They examined how inclusive strategies can boost productivity, spur economic growth, and promote sustainable development through an informal conversation drawing on their organizations' expertise.
Government representatives, NGOs, businesses, and academia contributed diverse perspectives on how inclusivity can transform global economies into more resilient and equitable systems.