2026 News items

The Public Forum is the WTO's largest annual outreach event, with this year's edition featuring 540 speakers across 113 sessions, a record number. Many breakout sessions, networking opportunities and cultural events are also an integral part of the event, providing an unparalleled opportunity for WTO members and other attendees to interact and engage on key issues facing global trade.

Representing more than two-thirds of global GDP and accounting for more employment than any other sector, trade in services is not just a driver of global economic growth. It is the most dynamic component of world trade. In 2026, services trade volume is projected to expand by 4.8 per cent, significantly outpacing trade in goods.

The Forum kicked off with a high-level panel exploring how technological innovation, geopolitical shifts, climate issues and evolving business models will shape the trading system of the future. Jointly organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the session brought together WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Dispute Settlement Body Chair and Brazil's WTO Ambassador, Guilherme Patriota, ICC Secretary-General John Denton and IISD President and CEO Patricia Fuller. Moderated by the Peterson Institute for International Economics Senior Fellow Inu Manak, the session examined how international cooperation and trade can contribute to prosperity, sustainability and trade opportunities for future generations.

DG Okonjo-Iweala reminded the audience that over 70 per cent of world trade is conducted under the WTO's most-favoured nation (MFN) rules, providing stability for businesses. But she also acknowledged the need for WTO reform.

"The global trade rules are under challenge, global trade is experiencing problems such as it has never seen," she said. "But let's get out of this mindset of everything is not working and move to an area where we are saying, let's fix what doesn't work and let's seize opportunities," she urged, citing AI and services as engines for growth that economies should look to harness.

Ambassador Patriota said: "The WTO acquis, which was built over a period of eight decades, is extremely important because most countries' national laws mirror what was negotiated here, and it still governs most trade worldwide." He highlighted that "the WTO sits at the very heart of the critical relationship between peace, security and development", but he underscored the need for "a degree of flexibility within the system" and called for the existing rulebook to be re-examined and updated.

John Denton said ICC studies have shown that the cumulative cost of global trade uncertainty in the past two years is nearly USD 600 billion in lost business opportunities. He argued that WTO members need to focus on moving forwards and facing the challenges of the future rather than relitigate past issues.

"The business community would like to see some agility, but if you cannot get consensus because of the way in which you define consensus here, then let's allow those who can move forward to move forward," he said. "Respect the interests of others and let us argue about enforceability, etc. But let's get movement back into the system. Let's make it relevant."

Patricia Fuller highlighted the particular impact of high tariffs and other barriers to trade on small businesses, which she said are "the most disadvantaged when it comes to administrative barriers to market access".

She added: "There is now much greater literacy around trade concepts and greater interest in the value of trade." For the WTO, this presents an opportunity to "bring more voices into the discussion, including civil society and business representatives".

The WTO's 2026 World Trade Report - entitled "A Critical Juncture for the World Trading System" - was officially launched at the Public Forum. The findings of the Report can be found here.

An innovation of the Forum this year is the co-hosting with the Geneva Trade Platform of a series of "Curated Conversations" designed to create an opportunity for candid policy exchanges on topics of interest to the international trade community.?

Other high-level sessions on Day One included a business leaders' dialogue on the future of services trade and a panel on how the WTO can contribute to balanced and sustainable economic growth in a rapidly changing world order.

On Days Two and Three, over 100 other sessions will be held, with many livestreamed on the WTO website.