Minister Ng speaks with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva about WTO priorities

November 12, 2021 - Ottawa, Canada - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, met with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss progress in preparations for the upcoming 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12).

Minister Ng conveyed Canada’s continued support for Director-General Okonjo-Iweala’s efforts to enhance the WTO’s role in accelerating the production and equitable distribution of effective, safe and affordable COVID-19 vaccines and related medical products. Minister Ng emphasized the importance of achieving a significant outcome on trade and health at MC12, including building support for the WTO’s Declaration on Trade and Health: COVID-19 and Beyond, which has now been endorsed by 56 WTO members.

Minister Ng conveyed her appreciation of Director-General Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership on the WTO fisheries subsidies negotiations. She emphasized Canada’s commitment to continue to work closely with its international partners to find solutions on key issues at MC12 and to continuing work on WTO reform, including through the Canada-led Ottawa Group.

Minister Ng reaffirmed Canada’s view that a rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, is essential to ensuring a sustainable and inclusive global economic recovery and that the Ottawa Group will continue to support the crucial work ahead of MC12 and beyond.