During a recent meeting in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala reported strong expressions of support for the organization from global leaders and stakeholders. "I was heartened by the amount of unwavering support expressed for the WTO," she said.
Okonjo-Iweala noted that many leaders emphasized the importance they place on the multilateral trading system, highlighting its role in ensuring stability and predictability for businesses and consumers. She acknowledged ongoing challenges faced by the WTO but pointed to a renewed appreciation for its work amid current global trade uncertainties. "While they acknowledge the challenges we face – and I was not sparing in laying out that those challenges exist and that we must tackle them – they talked about renewed appreciation for our work amid today’s global trade turbulence," she added.
Ahead of a recent Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) meeting, Okonjo-Iweala asked members to share their views on possible outcomes at the upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), particularly regarding agriculture and additional provisions for the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which recently came into force. Ongoing discussions also cover development issues and matters related to least developed countries.
She referenced an agreed goal to decide by December which issues with member consensus should be advanced to MC14, scheduled for March 26-29, 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. "We all agreed that if things are not ripe, we should not take them forward. If we cannot prepare adequately some files here, we shouldn't expect ministers in the two or three days that they'll be in Yaoundé to be able to solve these issues," Okonjo-Iweala stated.
"Across all negotiating files, political will and flexibility from every member are essential for substantive progress and meaningful outcomes," she declared.
Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain of Pakistan, chair of agricultural negotiations at the WTO, provided an update following consultations with members and a meeting held on September 23. He described a pragmatic mood among members: "Most do not expect a major breakthrough at MC14, as engagement has diminished and negotiations have made little progress since MC13." Despite this outlook, he said nearly all members agree agriculture should remain part of any broader outcome at MC14.
Members discussed several options moving forward: developing a post-MC14 work outline; issuing a political declaration reaffirming commitment to further negotiations; incorporating key elements on agriculture and food security into conference documents; or creating early deliverables focused on supporting vulnerable WTO members facing food insecurity.
The session also addressed prospects for concluding additional provisions under the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Nearly 50 members participated in these discussions—some representing groups—responding directly to questions raised by Okonjo-Iweala about potential outcomes in agriculture and fisheries at MC14.
Okonjo-Iweala thanked participants for their candid feedback: "Everybody acknowledges the difficult situation and the need to be realistic." She welcomed news that both the African Group and Cairns Group intend to present a new joint proposal on agriculture negotiations—a move she believes could help build consensus among members.
Regarding fisheries subsidies talks, Okonjo-Iweala noted differing views about what is achievable before MC14 but highlighted near-universal commitment among members to continue progress and appoint new leadership for negotiations.
"It looks certain that trying to focus ministers on delivering a (WTO) reform package for this organization is critical," she said. "We have to realize that things are changing, and this organization has to grapple with those changes. If we focus our minds along those lines, I think we will be able to deliver."