June 12-16, 2022. GENEVA.
Ministers from across the world are attending to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system, to make general statements and to take action on the future work of the WTO.
The WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) began on 12 June 2022 at WTO headquarters in Geneva. Ministers from across the world are attending to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system, to make general statements and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The Conference is co-hosted by Kazakhstan and chaired by Mr Timur Suleimenov, Deputy Chief of Staff of Kazakhstan's President. Kazakhstan was originally scheduled to host MC12 in June 2020 but the conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference is scheduled to close on 16 June.
How the Conference is organized
The Opening Session of the Conference began at 15.00 on Sunday 12 June. At the end of this session, pre-recorded and written statements submitted by ministers and heads of delegation were posted on the WTO website. At 16.00, a session on the challenges facing the multilateral trading system provided ministers with the opportunity to deliver prepared statements on this topic.
From Monday to Wednesday, thematic sessions are being held on particular areas of WTO activities. These are followed at the end of each day by a meeting of heads of delegations.
The Closing Session is due to take place on Thursday 16 June.
Further information is available in the MC12 calendar.
Statements
Pre-recorded and written statements submitted by ministers and heads of delegation
Documents
MC12 documents
Logistics
Information for attendees
Briefing notes
These briefing notes are designed to provide background information on issues relevant to the Ministerial Conference.
Find out more
Credentials for MC12
The Rules of Procedure for Sessions of the Ministerial Conference require each WTO Member to be “represented by an accredited representative” and to submit “credentials” of representatives to the WTO Secretariat “at least one week before the opening session” of the Ministerial Conference.
Find out more
Background
MC12 was originally scheduled to take place in June 2020 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, members agreed that MC12 would take place in Geneva from 30 November to 3 December. However, an outbreak of a new highly transmissible strain of the COVID-19 virus and resulting travel restrictions led to a General Council decision on 26 November 2021 to postpone MC12 indefinitely.
On 25 April, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, MC12 Chair Mr Timur Suleimenov and General Council Chair Ambassador Didier Chambovey informed members that MC12 would take place on 12-16 June 2022 at WTO headquarters in Geneva.
About WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) deals with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. More
Source Link: https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc12_e/mc12_e.htm