GENEVA – African stakeholders and the broader Global South convened at the South African Permanent Mission on 17 September 2025 to press for urgent reforms to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The roundtable, titled “Making the WTO Work for Business and Consumers: A South-South Dialogue on WTO Reform,” provided a crucial platform for developing nations to contribute their perspectives on the future of the global trading system.

The event was co-convened by the South African Permanent Mission to the WTO, the B20 South Africa Trade & Investment Task Force and the T20 Secretariat. Attendees stressed the necessity of reforming the WTO to better serve the interests of developing economies.

The dialogue took place against a backdrop of increasing threats to the rules-based trade order, which organisers emphasised were intensifying uncertainty for both businesses and governments globally. Key challenges highlighted during the event included a notable rise in protectionism, the application of unilateral tariffs, the introduction of carbon border adjustment measures, and new restrictions on digital trade.

The roundtable successfully fostered a crucial South-South Dialogue, allowing representatives from Africa and other developing regions to articulate their collective priorities and concerns regarding the ongoing challenges and the necessary structural changes at the WTO.

For more information, download the post-event report.