TIIWG G20 Discusses Strengthening WTO Reforms

The G20 series in Indonesia continued with the discussion of World Trade Organization (WTO) Reform in the G20 second meeting of Trade, Investment, and Industry Working Group (TIIWG). This meeting is held in Surakarta, Central Java, from 5-7 July 2022.

The discussion of the priority issue is a follow-up to the results of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (KTM) which will be held in Geneva in June 2022.

Chair of TIIWG / Chair of the TIIWG G20 Meeting and Director General of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono said that TIIWG members saw the need to strengthen the framework for WTO reform, especially in negotiations, monitoring and dispute resolution systems.

Djatmiko emphasized the importance of establishing justice among WTO member countries to optimize the function of the WTO as an organization that plays a major role in the formation of world trade regulations.

“Indonesia will take the lead in encouraging collaboration through discussing all priority issues with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] as the main goal to achieve a better and sustainable future for all and ensure that no one is left behind,” he said in Surakarta, Thursday (7/07). 7/2022).

According to him, increasing the frequency of meetings between delegates from various WTO member countries is one of the efforts to overcome trade problems that are currently happening in the world.

Through more intense regular meetings, it is hoped that there will be coordination and exchange of information related to current international trade trends.

Several WTO members, individually and in groups, have made statements of commitment to ensuring the free flow of trade in goods and services essential to combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WTO also plays an active role in establishing partnership lines with various parties to encourage the production and distribution of vaccines to various countries.

Djatmiko said that Indonesia as the G20 Presidency had succeeded in bringing together delegates from various countries to join the trial forum held at TIIWG this time.

According to him, this forum is a forum for meeting delegates from various countries to discuss issues of trade, investment, and industry so that it is hoped that cooperation between countries can be established in these fields.

Furthermore, Advisor to the Legal Affairs Division of the WTO Secretariat Gabrielle Marceau, explained, “The reforms we mean are institutional reforms including reforms in negotiations, reforms in dispute resolution, and other matters such as transparency and monitoring of mechanisms and processes in these reforms by the members.”