The Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization was signed by 123 countries on 15 April 1994, leading to the birth of the WTO on 1 January 1995. Over the past 30 years, the WTO has helped to bring about a major expansion in global trade, with the objective of raising living standards, increasing employment and promoting sustainable development.
General Council Chair, Ambassador Saqer Al Moqbel of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, opened the event highlighting the WTO’s role over the last three decades in raising living standards through trade, fostering cooperation, and maintaining a rules-based trading system. He underlined the importance of the multilateral trading system as a platform for co-operation and the place where members can build a better world through trade. “Let us not lose sight of that, particularly in the light of recent developments in global trade and the overall economic situation,” he said.
Director-General Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of marking this anniversary, particularly in the light of recent tariff-related developments and the speed at which events are unfolding, adding uncertainty and instability to world trade and the world economy.
“The uncertainty around global trade has reminded many members why they value the WTO as a bedrock of predictability in the global economy — and as a platform for dialogue and cooperation on trade,” DG Okonjo-Iweala said. She also noted that the understandable and legitimate concerns about the WTO and the multilateral trading system expressed by several members in recent times should be seen as an opportunity to “change the system for the better.”
She noted that “a far-reaching reform agenda” for the organization should be seen as an important opportunity to improve what does not work and position the WTO for the future. She also pointed out the suggestions brought forward by many members for forward-looking corrective action and reforms to monitoring and transparency, negotiations, and dispute settlement.
“We need to formulate the right questions to be answered to reform us, and put in place a member-owned process to drive it.” That work should start in Geneva and culminate with a ministerial debate and endorsement of a way forward at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 26-29 March 2026.
Highlighting the “incalculable value for money” of an organization with an annual budget of CHF 205 million that ensures that trillions of dollars’ worth of global trade are based on rules and trust, DG Okonjo-Iweala recalled that the WTO is much more than tariffs and emphasized that the organization is functioning and providing many of the benefits it was set up to provide.
“I remain convinced — I am the ever optimistic — that a bright future awaits global trade and the WTO if we do the right thing. Let us do the right thing and bring this organization to where it should be,” she added. Her full statement is here.
The keynote address of the event was delivered by the former Prime Minister of Portugal and President of the European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso, who highlighted the WTO’s role in lifting 1.5 billion people out of extreme poverty since 1995. Mr Barroso emphasized the need for the WTO in a complex global economy, noting its historic successes like lowering tariffs and increasing global trade to over U$ 30 trillion in 2023.
Advocating for cooperation, dialogue and pragmatism, Mr Barroso stressed the importance of open trade for global prosperity and peace, as exemplified by multilateral organizations and regional integration processes like the European Union in the post-World War II era.
The former EC President noted that the WTO “is going through what my kids would call a quarter life crisis — it has had big successes, but faces big existential challenges, and also needs to change to meet the demands of a changing world.” At the same time, he stressed the WTO is probably even more necessary today than it was when it was established in 1995.
He recalled that 30 years ago, the United States, Europe and Japan dominated the global economy and that today global economic power is much more widely distributed. “The world is much more complex today than it was at that time. Sidelining the WTO or allowing it to slide into irrelevance through inaction or deadlock would be a costly error, one that history will not look upon kindly,” he added.
The keynote address was followed by a plenary session on “Looking back” that brought together former Directors-General and former General Council Chairs to reflect on the work of the last 30 years and how the WTO has contributed to lifting over a billion people out of extreme poverty. The panel featured former Directors-General Supachai Panitchpakdi (2002-2005) and Roberto Azevêdo (2103-2020) as well as former General Council Chairs Ambassador Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme of Botswana and Ambassador David Walker of New Zealand.
A second session on “Looking forward” provided the opportunity for trade ministers, business and civil society leaders from around the world to reflect on the key emerging areas that will shape the WTO’s work over the next 30 years. Speakers included the Minister of Trade of Cameroon Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the former Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada Mary Ng, the former Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider, the Secretary-General of the International Organization for Standardization Mario Mujica, and the Executive Director of the South Centre Carlos Correa.
To close the event, the group of “Friends of the System” issued a statement in support of the rules-based multilateral trading system on the occasion of the 30th anniversary. The communication, supported by 39 members, recognizes the value and achievements of the WTO since 1995. It also reaffirms the central and indispensable role of the organization at the core of the rules-based multilateral trading system, which provides a predictable, transparent, non-discriminatory and open global trading system.
As the WTO charts a path forward, the group called for a recommitment to pursuing reforms so that the organization will continue to respond to the needs of its diverse membership, reinforce its relevance by responding to the challenges it faces and facilitate free and fair trade. It also emphasized the need to uphold the principles of inclusivity and cooperation, including by enhancing trade capacities.
The event was closed with a statement from State Councillor Anne Hiltpold on behalf of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.
This portal highlights some of the WTO’s achievements over the last three decades and the events planned to mark its 30th anniversary.
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