Better trade creates a better world

In the golden September, global attention is focused on Geneva, Switzerland, where a grand event on global trade and future development is about to take place - the 2024 World Trade Organization Public Forum. This four-day forum, from September 10th to 13th, brought together government representatives, entrepreneurs, scholars, media professionals, parliamentarians, and high-level international organizations from around the world to explore new trends, challenges, and opportunities in global trade under the theme of "Re globalization: Better Trade for a Better World".

As the most important annual outreach event of the World Trade Organization, the WTO Public Forum is not only a platform for information exchange, but also a hall for ideological collision and wisdom integration. Since the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995, the global trading system has undergone unprecedented changes and developments. The multilateral trading system has played an irreplaceable role in promoting global economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving people's living standards. However, with the deepening of globalization, a series of new problems and challenges have gradually emerged, such as the rise of trade protectionism, the intensification of income inequality, and the widening of the digital divide, all of which urgently require the international community to jointly address.

The theme of this forum, "Re globalization: Better Trade for a Better World," is a profound insight and positive response to the current global trade situation. Re globalization is not simply a repetition of the past globalization process, but a reshaping of the global trading system in a more inclusive, sustainable, and just manner in the context of the new era. The forum aims to provide new ideas and solutions for the future development of global trade through in-depth discussions and extensive exchanges, in order to ensure that more people can benefit from trade and create a better world together.

During the forum, the attending representatives will engage in in-depth discussions on multiple topics

The sub forum on "Maximizing Trade Benefits through Green Policies" will focus on how to find a balance between protecting the environment and promoting trade, and promote the development of green trade. With the increasing global attention to climate change, green economy has become an important direction for future development. By formulating and implementing green policies, not only can environmental protection and sustainable development be promoted, but new growth points can also be created for trade, achieving a win-win situation for both the economy and the environment. The sub forum on "Promoting Development and Enhancing Welfare through Trade in Services" has turned its attention to the emerging field of trade in services. With the continuous advancement of technology and the deepening development of globalization, the position of service trade in global trade is increasingly prominent. However, compared to trade in goods, trade in services still faces many obstacles in terms of rule making and market access. How to break down these barriers and promote the liberalization and facilitation of service trade will be the focus of discussion in this forum.

The sub forum on "Digitization as a Catalyst for Inclusive Trade" keeps pace with the times and focuses on the profound impact of digitization on trade. The digital economy has become a new engine of global economic growth, bringing unprecedented changes to trade. However, the existence of the digital divide has prevented some countries and regions from fully enjoying the benefits of digitization. How to promote inclusive development of trade through digital means and ensure that more people can benefit from it will be an important topic discussed in this forum.

In addition, the forum will invite numerous renowned experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs to give speeches and share their insights and experiences. Their brilliant speeches will not only provide valuable inspiration and reference for the attending representatives, but also stimulate more thinking and discussions about the future development of global trade.

It is worth mentioning that this forum is held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the World Trade Organization. Over the past 30 years, the World Trade Organization has made significant achievements in promoting global trade liberalization and economic growth. However, in the face of new era challenges and opportunities, the World Trade Organization also needs to constantly reform and innovate to better adapt to the new trends of global trade development. The holding of this forum will undoubtedly inject new impetus and vitality into the future development of the World Trade Organization.

Faced with the new challenges of globalization, countries should uphold the spirit of openness and cooperation, strengthen policy communication and coordination, and jointly uphold the rules based multilateral trading system. At the same time, we should actively embrace technological innovation, use digital and intelligent means to improve trade efficiency, promote the reconstruction and optimization of the global value chain, and achieve more inclusive and sustainable global development. We firmly believe that with the joint efforts of countries around the world, we will be able to overcome current challenges, seize future opportunities, and promote the development of global trade towards a more open, inclusive, green, and sustainable direction. Let's join hands and create a better future for global trade!