Qatar participates in WTO's 12th ministerial conference

The State of Qatar is participating in the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), being held in Geneva on June 12-15.Qatar’s delegation is headed by HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Sultan bin Rashid al-Khater.Al-Khater delivered the statement of Qatar during the opening session of the conference, which affirmed Qatar's commitment to the multilateral trading system, noting that the 12th Ministerial Conference represents a positive step towards developing appropriate solutions to the challenges facing the world.He called for the need to build on the positive results that have been achieved since the establishment of the WTO, in order to support its ability to restore its pivotal role in regulating international trade.Qatar’s statement stressed the need for development to be the focus of all discussions, in addition to focusing on the role of trade as a tool and a primary driver for it, noting Qatar's commitment to strengthening the laws regulating trade in a way that supports the participation of developing countries, especially the least developed countries, in the international trading system.The statement indicated that the ongoing negotiations within the framework of the WTO represent an opportunity to review the organisation's laws in line with the current and future trade scene.The statement pointed to the position of trade in the country and its role as a basic pillar of the national economy, pointing to Qatar's keenness to support the stability of the multilateral trading system and enhance its openness and transparency, pointing out that the developments in the WTO during the past 25 years, which contributed to changing the mechanisms of trade, in light of technological and digital development.The statement explained that the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic demonstrated the ability of countries to withstand in light of the unprecedented fluctuations in the global economy, and the faltering of supply chains, explaining that this crisis showed that international co-operation would enhance the speed and efficiency of the response, stressing the support of Qatar to the mechanisms to strengthen international co-operation to address any crises in the future.The statement also drew attention to the remarkable decline in global fish stocks in recent decades, and its impact in general on efforts to support fisheries, stressing the need to enhance the ability of the WTO to achieve its goals, especially in the areas of sustainable development identified by the United Nations.To conclude, Qatar expressed its hope to reach positive results during the 12th Ministerial Conference, in a way that supports the work of the World Trade Organization and consolidates the principles on which the international trade system was built in general.Within the framework of the conference, al-Khater participated in the meeting held by WTO director-general Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with dignitaries and heads of delegations of Arab member countries participating in the ministerial conference, where they exchanged views on topics listed on the agenda of the conference, in addition to discussing ways to enhance co-operation between the Arab countries and the organisation, and support negotiations to face the challenges witnessed by the multilateral trading system at the global level.On the sidelines of the conference, al-Khater met with Minister of Industry and Trade in the Kingdom of Morocco Ryad Mezzour.During the meeting, they reviewed topics of common interest aimed at enhancing co-operation in the sectors of trade, investment and industry, in addition to exchanging views on the topics on the conference agenda.