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10/29/24, 2:16 PM UAE promotes open, inclusive trade at G20 Trade, Investment Ministerial meet - GulfToday

Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, reasserted the
UAE’s commitment to open, rules-based trade during the G20 Trade and Investment
Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) in Brazil, and again made the case that WTO reform can advance
the cause of multilateralism and ensure equitable access for all nations to global supply
chains. The UAE was participating as an invited guest of Brazil during its G20 Presidency,
reflecting the UAE’s growing influence on the global economy, particularly on trade issues.

During the meeting, which will shape the outcomes of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November
2024, Al Zeyoudi addressed two key sessions regarding the global trading system: the first on
WTO reform and the need to strengthen the multilateral trading system; the second on trade’s
role in sustainable development and investment. The UAE delegation included Juma Al Kait,
Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, who led
the UAE’s participation in the fourth and final G20 Trade and Investment Working Group
meeting, and Saleh Ahmad AlSuwaidi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Brazil.

In his ministerial interventions, Al Zeyoudi stated that the decisions taken during the 13th
Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC13) in February 2024, which
culminated in the Abu Dhabi Declaration, represented an important step forward in key areas
such as dispute resolution and must now be implemented. He called on the G20 to reaffirm its
commitment to open, rules-based trade as a driver of growth and prosperity and to push back
against protectionism, which will not only stifle global growth but hinder progress towards
achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Al Zeyoudi also encouraged G20 members to leverage technology to promote greener, more
efficient trade practices, which can make an important contribution to the challenges of both
climate change and supply-chain disruption. He welcomed the publication of the “G20
Compendium of Best Practices to Increase Women’s Participation in International Trade,”
noting that women-run SMEs are central to the economies of emerging markets and need
equitable access to international markets.

Al Zeyoudi said the Ministerial Meeting was an opportunity for the UAE to advocate for trade
as a vital bridge between nations and a driver of productivity and innovation, “The G20 Trade
and Investment Ministerial Meeting is an important platform for addressing the issues
impacting global trade, and for shaping the solutions that will ensure every nation is able to
access and benefit from supply chains. The UAE will continue to use such meetings to
champion multilateralism and align with our partners across the world to ensure trade remains
able to deliver long-term, sustainable growth for every nation. We all agree on the need for
key reforms to the WTO and strengthening issues such as dispute resolution. What we need
now is a coordinated action plan to turn proclamations into policies and programs at regional
and international levels.”

During his visit to Brasilia, he held a bilateral meeting with Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry for Singapore, in addition to a number of nations
who are part of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement program. These
included talks with Todd McClay, Minister of Trade for New Zealand, Inkyo Cheong, Minister
of Trade for the Republic of South Korea, Shri Jitin Prasada, Honorable Minister of State,
Commerce and Industry of India, George Mina, Deputy Secretary in the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade for Australia.

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