WTO Reform Takes Centre Stage as Members Push for Progress on Trade and Digital Rules

General Council Chair Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand said feedback from the 30 September transparency session would help shape the next phase of reform discussions, including meeting formats, scheduling and timing.

WTO members meeting at the General Council on 5–6 October discussed how to turn reform proposals and unfinished negotiations into results, with development concerns, digital trade and agriculture running through the agenda. Delegations pressed for concrete proposals and stronger follow-through on ministerial commitments, raising practical concerns about overlapping meetings and the limited resources of smaller delegations, which can make participation difficult as preparations gather pace for the 15th Ministerial Conference (MC15).

Reform discussions face pressure to deliver

General Council Chair Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand said feedback from the 30 September transparency session would help shape the next phase of reform discussions, including meeting formats, scheduling and timing. MC15 remains the shared reference point, although its dates have not been fixed. Nearly 60 speakers addressed reform, discussing the trading system's foundational principles, development priorities and the need to move from procedural questions to substantive proposals. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala encouraged members to submit concrete ideas, with dispute settlement reform continuing under Dispute Settlement Body Chair Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota of Brazil through informal meetings, updates and information sessions.

Kelly welcomed two decisions concerning least developed countries adopted in July as evidence that constructive engagement can produce results after unresolved discussions at MC14 in March. She reported no significant change since July on the electronic commerce work programme or the moratorium on non-violation and situation complaints under the intellectual property agreement, TRIPS. Members called for delivery on agriculture and development commitments and highlighted October's Global Review of Aid for Trade. A decision on MC15's location was close, potentially requiring a special General Council meeting; Cameroon, which hosted MC14, shared proposals for improving future conferences' effectiveness and outcomes.

Negotiations and digital trade test members' resolve

Reporting on the 1 October Trade Negotiations Committee meeting, Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged stalled negotiations and frustration, describing members as determined to continue. She urged fresh approaches to agriculture and further negotiations on fisheries subsidy rules to prevent the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies from lapsing under its sunset provision. Services offered opportunities to revive negotiating work, she said, alongside the need to respond to artificial intelligence and secure multilateral outcomes on the e-commerce moratorium and work programme. Delegations supported stronger efforts towards MC15, stressing that reform should strengthen negotiations and help fulfil existing mandates without overwhelming smaller teams.

Singapore, speaking for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce's co-conveners, responded to questions in India's communication about the agreement. Participants backed interim arrangements for bringing it into force and eventual incorporation into the WTO framework, pointing to greater predictability, transparency and legal certainty, lower business costs and less regulatory fragmentation, particularly for smaller firms. Several members questioned the arrangements' legal and institutional foundations, the use of WTO resources, the Secretariat's involvement and the Director-General's acceptance of depositary responsibilities. Okonjo-Iweala addressed the Secretariat's role and explained her position on the depositary function.

Agriculture and investment bring development into focus

New Zealand reported on the Dialogue on Emerging Agricultural Trade Issues, supported by a group of members examining sustainable agriculture and trade. Its three thematic sessions included a 25 September discussion featuring agricultural groups and companies from Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa on responding to climate change. Members valued hearing directly from farmers and businesses, with another session planned for November. Some supporters stressed that the dialogue should complement the Committee on Agriculture's negotiating work and preserve attention to existing mandates.

Chile reported that participation in the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement had reached 131 members. Its post-MC14 work plan covers incorporation into the WTO framework, explaining potential benefits, building consensus and expanding implementation needs assessments, with 32 launched, including among non-participants. Supporters linked the agreement to attracting and sustaining investment in developing economies and urged incorporation into Annex 4 of the Marrakesh Agreement. One member considered that step premature, citing its connection to broader reform discussions and the governance of agreements involving subsets of WTO members.