On 5 March, the new Director-General met with the Group of Least Developed Countries as well as the Friends of the System, an alliance of small and mid-sized members from different regions and development levels that are committed to a well-functioning multilateral trading system.
DG Okonjo-Iweala also addressed the first meeting of the Structured Discussions on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, at the invitation of the 53-member group that is exploring ways trade and the WTO can better contribute to achieving environmental goals.
In her discussions with the LDC Group, the Director-General noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had reversed one or even two decades of development progress for many LDCs, and that it continued to disrupt key LDC exports, whether of tourism services, commodities or manufactures. Trade and the WTO had a critical role to play, she said, both in making COVID-19 vaccines more affordable and accessible, and in driving a global recovery in living standards. “We are here to make life in LDCs better,” she added. “If we don't succeed with LDCs, we will not have succeeded.”