The UAE delegation has concluded its participation in the 12th Ministers Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a four-day meeting of trade and economy ministers from around the world, and its first in-person meeting since the global pandemic began. MC12 took place on June 12-15 at WTO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference was co-hosted by Kazakhstan and chaired by Timur Suleimenov, Deputy Chief of Staff of Kazakhstan’s President.
A UAE delegation led by Economy Minister Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri discussed the complex challenges facing the global trading system, including the lingering effects of COVID-19 on supply chains, geopolitical conflicts, and climate change. UAE also joins the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation, a WTO initiative led by Costa Rica to increase transparency of services regulations and clarify licensing and other authorization procedures. Through this effort, the WTO’s laws and regulations will be aligned with best practices.