The World Economic Forum's annual meeting took place under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," where Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the World Trade Organization's (WTO) crucial role in addressing global economic challenges. During her engagements with leaders, she emphasized the risks of economic fragmentation and potential trade wars.
At an event titled "Finding Growth in Uncertain Times" on January 21, Okonjo-Iweala stressed that trade remains a resilient growth source. She referenced a WTO study suggesting double-digit trade growth through artificial intelligence adoption, which could lower trade costs and enhance productivity. She also warned against geopolitical trading blocs and trade policy uncertainties, stating that such fragmentation could result in a global GDP loss of 6.4%, equivalent to losing the economies of Japan and Korea combined.
On January 22, during the session "Squaring the Climate-Trade Circle," she discussed trade's role in environmental preservation. Okonjo-Iweala noted, “You can’t have the adoption of clean energy technology without trade,” advocating for countries to produce goods aligned with their environmental advantages.
Okonjo-Iweala participated in a town hall titled "Debating Tariffs" on January 23 alongside Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity. She expressed concerns about tariffs as a policy tool, warning against retaliation spirals similar to those in the 1930s that worsened economic crises. “If we have tit-for-tat retaliation... everyone will pay, and the poor countries will pay even more,” she said.
On January 24, Okonjo-Iweala attended a ministerial gathering at Guy Parmelin's invitation, Swiss Federal Councillor and head of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Department. Ministers discussed plans for the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Okonjo-Iweala urged members to move beyond traditional positions towards organizational reform. “The context is changing; we must deliver and modernize,” she stated. According to Parmelin's summary, ministers recognized the WTO's significance and its rules-based multilateral trading system.