Senator Chris Murphy discusses the latest on Congress and COVID-19, and the progressive foreign policy debate.

Dr. David Nabarro discusses the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in responding to the pandemic, and how the WHO advises member states to inform policymaking.

Economy Minister Martín Guzmán discusses the state of Argentina's economy, how the coronavirus has affected it, and the challenges it confronts as it works to restructure its external debt. The C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics brings the world's foremost economic policymakers and scholars to address members on current topics in international economics and U.S. monetary […]

An interactive virtual workshop focused on raising the level of sophistication of your online presentations. Led by Eileen Smith, president of Spokesmith, this workshop focuses on best practices for delivering presentations virtually, including practical tips for room set-up, camera angles, sound quality, projecting energy through a screen, and engaging a virtual audience. This workshop was conducted over Zoom Meetings, […]

The WTO Secretariat has published an information note looking at how micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It notes the impact of supply chain disruptions on MSMEs and the extent to which smaller businesses are represented in the economic sectors hardest hit by the crisis.

A new information note published by the WTO Secretariat looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected trade in services, from tourism and transport to retail and health services.

At a virtual meeting of the General Council on 29 May, WTO members discussed Kazakhstan’s offer to host the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Nur-Sultan in June 2021.

After careful consideration of COVID-19 related uncertainties and health concerns, the WTO has decided to cancel this year’s WTO Public Forum, scheduled for 29 September to 2 October. This decision responds to the complexities around planning to host thousands of people from around the world for a public event under the WTO roof, as well […]

The WTO’s Annual Report, published today (28 May), provides a comprehensive account of the organization’s activities in 2019 and early 2020. The Report opens with a message from Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and a brief overview of the year. This is followed by in-depth accounts of the WTO’s main areas of activity over the past 12 […]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgent need to examine the underlying principles and values of the WTO and whether the organization needs change, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff said on 27 May. Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Korean International Trade Association, DDG Wolff called for immediate action to control the […]

On 26 May, WTO members assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the trading capacity of developing countries in a virtual meeting of the Committee on Trade and Development. The new chair, Afghanistan’s WTO Ambassador, Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, said: “Trade must form part of the solution in assisting and supporting recovery in developing countries.”

At a virtual meeting of the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session on 25 May, the Chair of the Committee, Ambassador John Deep Ford (Guyana), informed WTO members that his term as Chair will come to an end on 30 June as he will be leaving Geneva.

At a virtual meeting of the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session on 25 May, WTO members shared preliminary views on COVID-19’s impact on the WTO’s agriculture negotiations and discussed how to move forward with these talks. Members reaffirmed the importance of upholding WTO rules during the COVID-19 crisis and stressed the relevance of the […]

On 21 May 2020, South Africa notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 15 May 2020 a safeguard investigation on bolts with hexagon heads of iron or steel.