“I want to thank you because everything that you did at the WTO over the years has been the foundation for the work that that we do now,” she told the retirees, who took part in the General Assembly meeting online as well as in person at the WTO.
“I think there’s a sense of appreciation among the members, certainly within the Secretariat and senior management within the Secretariat, of how much we owe those who have retired from the WTO and who have dedicated so much of their careers to the work that we do here.”
DDG Ellard briefed the retirees on the outcomes at MC13 earlier this year as well as specific issues on the negotiating agenda, such as fisheries subsidies, agriculture, dispute settlement reform, and development. She also noted the progress made in the plurilateral negotiations on domestic regulation of services and investment facilitation as well as proposals from some members for discussion on new issues, such as subsidies, the environment, and decision-making at the WTO.
DDG Ellard also responded to questions from retirees on issues of interest, notably the proposed reform of the WTO’s pension plan.
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