Minister Ng hosts Ottawa Group ministerial meeting

December 16, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core, is essential to securing a strong, sustainable and inclusive global economic recovery.

Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, chaired a virtual meeting of the Ottawa Group on WTO reform to discuss progress and the path to the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in 2023.

At the meeting, which included the participation of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the WTO’s Director-General, Minister Ng emphasized the importance of taking steps to ensure that the WTO remains at the core of an effective rules-based global trading system and that reform efforts help contribute to global economic stability and prosperity.

Minister Ng and her counterparts discussed how the Ottawa Group can continue contributing to addressing key priorities such as dispute settlements and the ministers committed to working together toward solutions. The Ottawa Group will meet again in January to continue the momentum on these discussions.