Fiji’s Permanent Representative Presents Credentials to Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)

The Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations Office and International Organisations in Geneva, His Excellency Laitia Tamata, this morning presented his letter of credentials to the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, commended Fiji and the Pacific’s active engagement at the WTO, and in response Permanent Representative Tamata underscored the importance of the multilateral trading system, for developing economies like Fiji.

In the leadup to the 14th Session of the Trade Ministers Conference (MC14),  WTO member States Ministers, will convene  in Cameroon from 26-29 March, to discuss and make a decision on pressing agenda items, including the Reform of the WTO, continued negotiations Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (Phase 2), on E-commerce, Development, and Environment, amongst others.

Fiji has been a member of WTO since 1996 and  a member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) since 1993. The Fiji Permanent Representative Office, in Geneva is accredited to the WTO.

The Fiji Mission in Geneva has been actively engaged at the WTO alongside the other WTO Pacific Member States Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, based in Geneva, and Tonga and Solomon Islands, remotely engaging at the WTO.

Fiji co-leads several initiatives at the WTO including as co-sponsors and negotiators for the Agenda on Fisheries Subsidies Agreement (Phase 2). On Agriculture, E-commerce, Development and Environment, Fiji and the WTO Pacific group continues to advocate for regional and national trade priorities.

Fiji is also a co-lead for the WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP), a WTO group of member States (Barbados, China, Ecuador, Morocco, Australia and Fiji) – an  initiative which explores how the WTO could contribute to efforts to reduce plastics pollution and promote the transition to more environmentally sustainable trade in plastics.

Recent global developments and ongoing challenges to global cooperation, including deepening fragmentation and outcomes dictated by geopolitics; impacts the multilateral trading architecture.

Trade remains an integral part of the Fijian economy, and with a relatively small yet vibrant domestic market, we embrace global connections, harness the potential of international trade and supply chains to fuel our economy and uplift the livelihoods of our people.

The WTO facilitates a rules-based, transparent and equitable global trading system, and remains instrumental in ensuring that all nations, regardless of size, can participate in international trade on fair and just terms, through a strong rules-based multilateral trading system.