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2/26/24, 9:56 AM UAE to welcome 175 ministers, senior officials for WTO’s MC13 – The Gulf Time Newspaper
UAE to welcome 175 ministers, senior officials for

WTO’s MC13

ABU DHABI / WAM

The UAE is gearing up to host the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation

(WTO) in Abu Dhabi between February 26-29.
This pivotal event brings together ministers and senior officials from around the world for discussions on the
rules and regulations governing international trade.

The gathering of 175 Member States, private sector leaders, NGOs, and civil society representatives will
allow the global community to work together towards advancing a more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive

trading system.
Ministerial conferences are the highest decision-making body of the WTO and serve as crucial forums for
member states to address trade challenges, refine trade rules, and set the agenda for global trade policy.

The 13th Ministerial Conference is set to build on the progress achieved during MC12, held in Geneva in
June 2022, which made substantive breakthroughs on fisheries subsidies, food insecurity, and e-commerce.
Focus areas will include improving the ability of developing countries and Least Developed Countries

(LDCs) to access the global trading system, intellectual property, and WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism.
The forum will also provide an opportunity to explore greater collaboration and partnership with non-

governmental organisations, the private sector, and civil society to enhance the effectiveness of trade
policies and programmes via a series of side events.
These include the TradeTech Global Forum, promoting the use of technology in global supply chains, and

sessions on trade facilitation in partnership with Etihad Credit Insurance, trade finance with HSBC, SMEs

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