This new variant reminds us once again of the urgency of the work we are charged with," she said in a statement. "On the contrary, delegations in Geneva should be fully empowered to close as many gaps as possible. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the postponement did not mean negotiations should stop. President Joe Biden said on Friday he supported a waiver for vaccines. India, South Africa and other developing countries are calling for a waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights for vaccines and other COVID-19 treatments. Wto next meeting update#The WTO has only managed one update of its global rules in its near 27-year history, the red tape-cutting Trade Facilitation Agreement, and its 164 members looked far from agreement in its most active talks - on curbing fishing subsidies and spreading COVID-19 vaccines more widely. The Geneva-based trade body had planned a meeting in person, but the new restrictions meant delegations of large players such as South Africa and the Brussels-based European Commission would have been limited to a largely virtual presence.Įven before the postponement the prospects were not bright. Switzerland, home to the WTO, on Friday banned direct flights from South Africa and the surrounding region, and imposed test and quarantine requirements on travel from other countries, including Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. Scientists are also seeking to find out if it is vaccine-resistant. The World Health Organisation has classified the B.1.1.529variant detected in South Africa as a "variant of concern", saying it may spread more quickly than other forms of the virus. No new date has been set for a rescheduled meeting. Wto next meeting for free#I am therefore postponing this meeting until further notice during which period I will continue to undertake consultations with delegations.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Register WTO General Council Chairman David Walker issued a separate notice that said: “It has come to my attention that for reasons including the health situation and current events, delegations will not be in a position to take a formal decision on 9 November. The Trump administration’s move has disrupted the leadership race because all WTO decisions are made by a consensus of its 164 members, which means a single country can oppose a decision for any reason. unilaterally opposed Okonjo-Iweala despite the fact that the WTO selection committee determined she “clearly carried the largest support by members” and “clearly enjoyed broad support from members from all levels of development and from all geographic regions.” Yoo has refused to withdraw from the race and has not responded to multiple requests for comment. preferred South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee for the job. The delay comes a week after the Trump administration said it would oppose Okonjo-Iweala’s bid because the U.S. The statement obtained by Bloomberg said that the meeting would be postponed until further notice and that the chairman of the WTO general council will continue to consult with members about selecting the next director-general. The decision will delay the WTO’s ability to confirm Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the first African and first woman to lead the organization in its 25-year history. The World Trade Organization postponed a general council meeting set for Monday where members were expected to review whether to select their next leader, according to a notice circulated Friday. were heavily impacted by the pandemic and 138 (90) of the 153 reported COVID-19 related measures affecting trade in services put in place by WTO Members and Observers in response to the pandemic are still in force.
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