The 12th China Round Table (CRT-12), slated for February 24-25, 2024, marks a historic milestone as it convenes in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, making it the first Round Table organized in the Arab region, WTO reports. The event coincides with the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13).
Addressing Under-representation in the WTO
The Arab region, despite its cultural and economic significance, remains under-represented in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Among the 22 members of the Arab League, only 13 are WTO Members, with ongoing accession processes for several others. The 12th CRT aims to address this disparity and explore ways to enhance Arab participation in the multilateral trading system.
Navigating Accession Challenges
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of supporting Arab acceding governments: "With several Arab acceding governments expected to step up engagement at the WTO this year, especially in the case of Comoros, we should step up our joint efforts to support them. One potentially useful point of action could be to put together a study detailing the accession and post-accession experiences of Article XII members from the region. This could serve as a guide for Arab countries working to revive their accession negotiations and would yield insights for how best the international community could support Arab accessions or Arab countries' participation in the WTO more generally."
Leveraging Trade for Development and Peace
The CRT-12 agenda aligns with the Trade for Peace agenda, emphasizing how WTO accession reforms can bolster economic resilience and contribute to peace and stability in Arab countries. Discussions will revolve around utilizing trade as a catalyst for economic development and fostering harmony within the region.
Learning from Experience and Expertise
Building on the experiences of existing WTO and Article XII Arab Members, the CRT-12 seeks to provide valuable insights to Arab acceding governments. A pre-launch discussion of forthcoming publications and a high-level session featuring Arab Trade ministers will further enrich the dialogue on Arab perspectives on WTO accessions and the multilateral trading system.
A Legacy of Dialogue and Collaboration
Since its inception in 2012, the China Round Table has served as a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration on WTO accessions. With ten successful iterations held across the globe, the CRT continues to facilitate knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives, bolstering the integration of new Members into the rules-based multilateral trading system.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)