Director-General announces appointment of new Chief Economist Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala announced on 16 September the appointment of Robert W. Staiger as the new WTO Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division (ERSD). Mr Staiger will take up his post at the start of 2026.
https://www.wto.org/english/ne....ws_e/news25_e/rese_1

AI to boost trade by nearly 40% by 2040 if gaps are bridged, World Trade Report 2025 finds The 2025 edition of the World Trade Report reveals that, with the right enabling policies, artificial intelligence (AI) could boost the value of cross-border flows of goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040 thanks to productivity gains and lower trade costs. However, the flagship publication by the WTO Secretariat notes that for AI and trade to contribute to inclusive growth — with benefits shared widely — policies need to be in place to bridge the digital divide, invest in workforce skills, and maintain an open and predictable trading environment.
https://www.wto.org/english/ne....ws_e/news25_e/wtr_15

DG Okonjo-Iweala stresses important role of partnerships to boost opportunities for LDCs Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala opened the High-level Platform for LDC Partnerships on 16 September 2025 in Geneva, highlighting trade’s role in fostering resilience and creating new opportunities for least-developed countries (LDCs). The event brought together ministers, funding partners, international organizations, the private sector and around 70 capital-based LDC trade ministry representatives to exchange perspectives on LDC trade and investment priorities and to look ahead to the next phase of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), a partnership dedicated to helping LDCs use trade to generate growth.
https://www.wto.org/english/ne....ws_e/news25_e/infac_

WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies enters into force At a special General Council meeting on 15 September, WTO members celebrated the entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which commits members to curbing billions of dollars in annual spending on the most harmful subsidies that contribute to the depletion of marine fish stocks. Hailing the Agreement as a “landmark for global trade governance”, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala thanked WTO members for their commitment to protecting the livelihoods of fishing communities around the world. “This Agreement demonstrates how you can put trade in the service of both people and planet,” she said.
https://www.wto.org/english/ne....ws_e/news25_e/fish_1

Ireland contributes EUR 200,000 to advance safe and inclusive trade in developing countries Ireland is contributing EUR 200,000 (approximately CHF 187,40 to support the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) in strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity in developing countries. This brings Ireland’s overall contribution to the STDF since 2007 to over CHF 3.8 million.
https://www.wto.org/english/ne....ws_e/pres25_e/pr983_