Geneva: ASEAN is committed to contributing constructively to further strengthen the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including through engagement with other members and various stakeholders at any available platform. The Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the WTO, Ambassador Syahril Syazli Ghazali, emphasized the importance of this commitment in light of geopolitical uncertainties and the protectionist measures introduced by certain countries, which have significant impacts on global trade and supply chains, particularly affecting export-dependent nations like Malaysia.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, as the ASEAN Chair this year, Malaysia aims to amplify the voice of the 10-member bloc and address key issues related to WTO reforms. This includes tackling trade fragmentation and ensuring substantive outcomes during the 14th Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14). The Ministerial Conference, being the highest decision-making body of the WTO, is scheduled to convene from March 26-29, 2026, in Yaound©, Cameroon.
In a statement to Bernama, Ambassador Syahril Syazli highlighted ASEAN’s recognition of the WTO’s role in maintaining and safeguarding the multilateral trading system, referring to the region as ‘friends of the system’. Earlier this year, Syahril participated in the first General Council (GC) meeting, held on February 18-19 at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. The General Council is the WTO’s second highest-level decision-making body after the Ministerial Conference.
Serving as the ASEAN Chair, Malaysia delivered a joint statement on behalf of other ASEAN member states during one of the GC’s agenda items, ‘The WTO at 30’. Among other issues discussed during the meeting were the incorporation of the Electronic Commerce and Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreements into the Multilateral Framework, sustainable agriculture, expansion of WTO membership, and enhancing the process for appointing officers to certain WTO bodies.
During the meeting, members elected Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel as the next chairperson, succeeding Norway’s Ambassador Petter €¹…€œlberg. The WTO’s director-general, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, proposed a celebration of the WTO’s 30-year milestone, encouraging members to engage with various stakeholders in a program reflecting on the organisation’s successes and challenges to date.
Syahril Syazli expressed that ASEAN views the 30th anniversary as an opportune moment for the WTO to reflect on and celebrate its achievements in promoting fair and inclusive trade, which has benefited millions globally. He emphasized the need for the WTO to leverage this milestone to renew its commitment to strengthening the multilateral trading system in the face of new challenges and uncertainties.