Technical Support Unit Tops Agenda of Saudi WTO Candidate
Gulf
Riyadh- Mohammed Hamidi
Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, the Saudi candidate for the presidency of the World Trade Organization (WTO), revealed his intention to establish a technical support unit to enhance communication and develop solutions to the problems facing countries, pointing out that the e-commerce file must be redefined in order to cope with the emerging developments, within the framework of the organization. Saudi Arabia has taken the organization’s reform into consideration since it assumed the presidency of the G20 in 2019, especially in light of the weak international confidence in the WTO and its slow response to radical political, economic, and social changes in the world. Last July, 8 candidates (three Africans, two Asians, two Europeans, and a Latin American) put forward their electoral programs to assume the international position. The candidates will have until September 7 to persuade the capitals, before the next president is chosen during a special meeting in Geneva. In recent media statements, Tuwaijri said that the world was experiencing an exceptional and unprecedented crisis, with the outbreak of COVID-19, which imposed a comprehensive change in all parts of the world. “We are going through a very sensitive phase, and therefore the global trade system must have an effective, real, and fundamental role,” he stated. Tuwaijri said he believed that the main role of the WTO should focus on converging viewpoints and introducing a system for measuring performance at work through devising clear mechanisms. The Saudi candidate for the leadership of the WTO stated that there was a great convergence in the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the organization’s objectives. Those include economic growth, the better use of resources, economic diversification to serve the private sector, the creation of jobs in a sustainable manner, and the 17 development goals under the umbrella of the United Nations. On the trade war between China and the United States, Tuwaijri said that this file was among the priorities of the organization, asserting that the two countries were influential and accounted for a large percentage of global trade. He added that the Saudi candidate enjoyed the acceptance of both sides and all other parties. He said that work within the WTO would be based on a definite plan and the efficiency of communication and cooperation between the members on the basis of the organization’s policy. There are urgent issues that need to be brought up immediately on the organization’s table, as it is imperative to move to emerging issues such as e-commerce through a clear and effective effort, he emphasized.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470801/technical-support-unit-tops-agenda-saudi-wto-candidate
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