Global trade reinvents itself at the WTO Public Forum 2025

 

With a narrower focus and a central theme, "Increase, Create, and Preserve," this edition seeks to address the fundamental changes facing global trade, with digitalization as its central focus.

 

Reinventing commerce in the digital age

 

The Forum, considered the most important dissemination event of the WTO, spans two days with the aim of exploring how technological advances are redefining the international trading systemAttendees will analyze the risks and opportunities that digital tools offer to empower small businesses, expand market access, and build a stronger business environment.

 

The reduction in the number of sessions compared to previous years is part of a strategy to streamline the event and focus the discussion on the key challenges of global trade. More than 350 speakers from around the world will share their ideas on how to harness the transformative power of digital trade.

 

The trading system: "Crooked, but not broken"

 

The opening day started with a round table discussion in collaboration with the Peterson Institute of International Economics (PIIE), where business leaders reflected on trust and cooperation in an increasingly tested global system.

 

In her speech, the Director-General of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-IwealaShe stated that while the global trading system is "broken, it is not broken." Okonjo-Iweala expressed optimism and stressed the urgency of seeking solutions rather than lamenting the situation. She emphasized that the WTO remains a stable core, with 72% of goods traded under its terms, but acknowledged the need for reforms and greater predictability.

 

The panelists, including Cynthia Sanfilippo of L'Oreal, Rosario Navarro Betteley of SOFAFA Chile, and Philippe Varian of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), agreed that trade is an engine of prosperity and growth. However, they also pointed to growing challenges, such as rising costs and regulatory uncertainty, which particularly affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

 

Innovation and collaboration: New pillars of the Forum

 

In addition to the plenary sessions, this year's Forum introduces two innovative initiatives:

    The Trade Policy Center, in collaboration with the Trade Policy Research Forum, seeks to connect academic research with policymaking.

 

    The Research Center of the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP), which will organize sessions to promote knowledge of the trading system in developing economies and least developed countries.

 

Both initiatives reflect the WTO's commitment to fostering a more equitable trading system, one adapted to the challenges of the 21st century, where collaboration, innovation, and predictability are essential for global growth and prosperity.