WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela discussed key issues of the multilateral trading system at the High-Level Special Session of the Astana International Forum 2023

Astana, 9 June 2023 – Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of the World Trade Organization (WTO) participated in a High-Level Special Session at the Astana International Forum, engaging in a dialogue with Timur Suleimenov, the First Chief of the President's Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the AIF Special Session, the WTO Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, discussed a number of important topics, including challenges facing the multilateral trading system, outcomes of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference held under Kazakhstan's chairmanship, WTO reforms, priority issues for WTO members as well as WTO accession of Central Asian countries. These discussions helped to identify the challenges facing the international trading system and find solutions that promote inclusiveness and the well-being of all its members.

N.Okonjo-Iweala stressed that geopolitical tensions between countries are one of the greatest challenges to the multilateral trading system. Such tensions can lead to the risk of fragmentation of the global trading system. The Director General pointed out that such fragmentation would have a very high cost to the entire world economy, resulting in a loss of up to 5 percent of world GDP in the long term. She noted that this is a major challenge and called on countries to find ways to deal with geopolitical tensions and preserve the unity of the multilateral trading system. The Director General also emphasized the need to build global resilience and diversify supply chains to increase sustainability and reduce risk.

The Astana International Forum served as a platform for open and constructive discussions among global leaders from various sectors. Director-General Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude to President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev and the Government of Kazakhstan for hosting the forum and providing an opportunity for dialogue on these crucial matters.