In an opening message, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says:

“The past year was another tumultuous one for the world economy and for global trade. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic began to recede, the international community was tested by one crisis after another. Despite the shadow cast by rising geopolitical tensions, trade has proved itself to be a force for resilience and recovery.

“It is vital that the WTO builds on the success of MC12 so that it continues to fulfil its mandate of using trade as a means to improve living standards, create better jobs and promote sustainable development.

“We can and must continue to strengthen this vital institution and ensure that multilateral cooperation on trade does its part to provide solutions to problems facing people, nations and the wider global commons.”

The DG's full message is available here.

Under a new structure of “What we stand for”, “What we do” and “Who we are”, the Report provides a detailed account of the WTO's founding principles, its main areas of activity and how the organization is structured. “In the spotlight” sections at the start of the Report focus on pressing global issues, such as “trade and health”, “trade and climate change” and “trade in a year of polycrisis”.

Report by the World Trade Organization