Ramaphosa Demands WTO Reform Amid Global Trade Crisis

As the World Trade Organization (WTO) marks its 30th anniversary, leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and former WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo are calling for urgent reforms to adapt to rising protectionism and unilateral trade measures, particularly from advanced economies like the U.S. Azevedo warned that without significant changes, the WTO could be replaced by alternative global trade arrangements that could exclude some members. Ramaphosa emphasized that the WTO must better serve developing countries and ensure that global trade rules facilitate their integration into the international market. He criticized the ongoing trend of protectionism and stressed the need for a collaborative effort to strengthen multilateral trading systems. The upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon in 2026 is seen as a critical opportunity to reshape the WTO's future. Both leaders agree that a failure to reform could lead to severe economic repercussions, potentially worse than past financial crises.