WTO chief urges Indonesia to join interim mechanism, insists priority reform
WTO reform remained a priority despite related talks moving “much more slowly than we'd like”, WTO chief Okonjo-Iweala told reporters on Tuesday.
WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged Indonesia to join an interim mechanism for resolving trade disputes while maintaining faith in the organization's dispute settlement system. Despite the Appellate Body's paralysis since 2019, World Trade Organization members continue to address trade concerns through committees, bilateral negotiations and dispute panels, with 55 new cases recorded as of October.
Okonjo-Iweala defended the dispute settlement system during a roundtable interview ahead of the 2026 Global Review of Aid for Trade, calling the idea that the system is not functioning a "biggest, most frustrating myth." The WTO has established the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) in 2020 as an alternative mechanism, and Okonjo-Iweala encouraged Indonesia to participate in it.
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