Members of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender held the first of a series of thematic discussions for 2026 on 20 February with the first meeting focusing on mainstreaming the topic of trade and gender in the work of WTO bodies in line with the group's 2025-2026 Work Plan. Members also discussed deliverables to be launched at the sidelines of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, next month.
A high-level event on women and trade will be held on the margins of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 25 March to bring together women entrepreneurs, development partners and WTO members. Registration for the event - which will feature the work of the WTO Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, the International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades Initiative and the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund — is open until 22 February.
At a series of meetings held from 18 to 20 February, the WTO Council for Trade in Services and its subsidiary bodies discussed ways to strengthen information-sharing to reinvigorate the Council's work. They also discussed how to facilitate remittance transfers and to improve the classification of environmental services, among other issues. In addition, members received an update on efforts to help least developed countries (LDCs) participate more effectively in services trade and addressed various trade concerns.
WTO members agreed on 17 February on a draft decision for approval at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March on improving the integration of small economies into the world trading system. Adopted at a meeting of the Committee on Trade and Development's Dedicated Session on Small Economies, it is the first draft decision to be submitted for ministerial approval at MC14.
At a meeting on 16 February, WTO members participating in the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFSR) initiative continued exploring new approaches to reforming fossil fuel subsidies and examining the effects of subsidies provided to emissions-intensive sectors. Members reaffirmed the importance of enhancing transparency through greater information and experience sharing.
The fourth review of the trade policies and practices of Papua New Guinea takes place on 11 and 13 February 2026. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Papua New Guinea.
On 10 February 2026, the Philippines notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it had initiated on 5 February 2026 a safeguard investigation on imports of ceramic tiles.
The Republic of Korea made a 2025 contribution of CHF 271,000 to the WTO to help build capacity in developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs), encompassing CHF 145,000 to the Global Trust Fund and CHF 126,000 to help finance the WTO Chairs Programme.
Government officials from WTO least-developed country (LDC) members and eligible observers are invited to apply for the 2026 WTO workshop on Article 66.2 (Incentives for Technology Transfer) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), to be held in Geneva from 21 to 23 April 2026. Applications close on 16 February 2026.
The fourth review of the trade policies and practices of The Gambia takes place on 4 and 6 February 2026. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of The Gambia.
WTO members on 3 February considered next steps in advancing work on WTO reform in the lead-up to the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) scheduled to take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026. The facilitator on WTO reform, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, announced that he will launch a reform month on 5 February aimed at discussing a post-MC14 workplan. He underscored that reform must mean change and that WTO reform will be a central element of MC14.
WTO members have shared two new submissions on food and agriculture, aimed at finding compromise ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March.
Government officials from WTO members and observers eligible to benefit from WTO technical assistance activities are invited to apply to take part in the 2026 Advanced Global Workshop on the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) 2012 to be held from 20 to 24 April 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. Applications can be submitted until 13 February 2026.
Members of the media wishing to attend the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) have until 26 February 2026 (midnight, Central European Time) to submit their applications for accreditation. MC14 will take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from 26 to 29 March 2026.
The WTO Fish Fund opened its second Call for Proposals on 2 February, inviting developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO members that have ratified the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to apply for project grants aimed at supporting their implementation of the Agreement.
Austria has made a 2026 contribution of EUR 200,000 (approximately CHF 187,000) to the WTO Chairs Programme, the organization’s main technical assistance programme for providing support to academic institutions in developing and least developed country (LDC) economies.
The WTO has revamped the WTO Data Portal, the principal gateway to all trade data published by the organization. A key feature of the portal is a new catalogue of WTO datasets allowing WTO members and other users to explore WTO data in one self-contained area instead of navigating various platforms.
The WTO has published updated government procurement thresholds for individual parties to the Agreement on Government Procurement 2012 (GPA 2012) covering the period 2026–2027. Under the GPA 2012, companies from GPA parties may bid for certain public contracts in other GPA parties if the estimated value of the contract meets or exceeds the relevant threshold set out in each party’s schedule.
On 30 January, the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by China in United States — Certain Tax Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act (DS623).
WTO members took part in an interactive session of the Committee on Trade and Environment on 29 January to continue discussing how best to facilitate trade while navigating diverse carbon emissions measurement methodologies. Building on the fruitful discussions held in October and December on the importance of strengthening transparency in this area, members engaged in in-depth exchanges on concrete ways to improve transparency, including by considering ideas put forward in new proposals.
