Davos: Preparations launched for 12th WTO Ministerial Meeting in June 2020

Bern, 24.01.2020 - At the invitation of Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, a group of ministers responsible for World Trade Organization matters and WTO General Director Roberto Azevêdo met in Davos on 24 January to discuss and define their priorities for the 12th WTO ministerial conference to be held from 8 to 11 June 2020 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

35 members of the WTO, who represent a wide spectrum of trade policy interests, took part in the informal ministerial conference on 24 January on the fringes of the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.

The ministers discussed their priorities with regard to ongoing WTO activities and processes. High up on the agenda were the negotiations on Fisheries Subsidies and current efforts to reform the WTO, including further developing the existing framework of WTO rules, measures to improve transparency in the implementation of WTO agreements and proposals for restoring the Appellate Body of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. Therewith, giving directions at a political level for the preparations for the forthcoming 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.

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State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO
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