WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala delivered a stark assessment of the global trading landscape during Thursday’s opening of the 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, declaring that the multilateral system has been fundamentally and irreversibly transformed.
Addressing delegates at the Palais des Congrès, Okonjo-Iweala stated: ‘The world order and multilateral system as we knew it has irrevocably changed. We will not get it back… We must look to the future.’ Her remarks came as trade representatives from 166 member nations gathered amid mounting challenges to global commerce.
While acknowledging that 72% of world trade still operates under WTO rules and highlighting positive developments in AI-related trade growth, the director-general outlined significant uncertainties plaguing the trading system. She specifically cited Middle East conflicts and the widespread impact of U.S. tariff policies as major disruptive factors.
The organization faces multiple structural challenges, including the continued paralysis of its dispute settlement body and critical transparency failures in subsidy reporting. Only 64 members had submitted timely subsidy notifications for 2025, leaving 102 nations non-compliant with reporting requirements.
‘Lack of transparency leads to lack of trust, and that fuels suspicions of unfairness and anti-competitive behavior,’ Okonjo-Iweala warned delegates. This dynamic creates a ‘vicious circle’ of distrust that prevents members from agreeing on new rules and essential reforms, she added.
Geopolitical tensions are exacerbating trade pressures, with Middle Eastern conflicts disrupting vital shipping routes and energy supplies. Meanwhile, ongoing trade conflicts—including high import tariffs implemented by the United States and other nations—continue generating uncertainty and disrupting global supply chains that haven’t fully recovered from recent crises.