WTO: Switzerland calls for unity in the face of tensions
Keystone-SDA
The WTO ministerial meeting in Yaoundé should be a time for coming together in the face of the current political tensions, according to Swiss President Guy Parmelin. On Thursday, via video link, he called on members not to postpone the urgent reforms that are needed.
In the face of growing economic fragmentation and the multiplication of unilateral approaches, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) must remain “a pillar of stability and predictability”, insisted Parmelin at the start of the 14th ministerial meeting of the institution. Like the United States, the EU and China, he believes that the WTO “must be able to respond more flexibly to current needs”.
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This issue will be at the heart of the meeting scheduled to last until at least Sunday. Some, such as the United States and, to a lesser extent, the EU, want to attack the most-favoured-nation principle, under which an advantage granted to one country is granted to all the others.
The UK and Switzerland, on the other hand, want to maintain the fundamental principles of the WTO. “Non-discrimination, transparency and fairness” must be maintained, added Parmelin.
Along with a dozen other countries, the Swiss government is defending an ambitious roadmap for substantive reform from the next ministerial meeting in 2028. And Switzerland also wants the possibility of more plurilaterals in WTO agreements.
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Will WTO member states be able to reform the organisation?
According to convergent sources, in the event of failure in Yaoundé, certain members would be tempted to launch coalitions of the willing to make faster progress on certain issues. But without trying to tie them in with WTO agreements as they have done to date.
Because of the conflict in the Middle East, the Swiss president has decided not to travel to Cameroon. The Swiss delegation is led by State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda.
Adapted from French by AI/ac
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