TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2020) Greater transparency, open agricultural trade and e-commerce regulation are just some of the priorities for World Trade Organization (WTO) reform outlined during a virtual meeting of the Ottawa Group, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
The Ottawa Group brings together trade representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, European Union, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland to consider modernization of the international organization.
"Priorities include greater transparency on export restrictions, predictable and open trade in agriculture, and advancing negotiations on e-commerce,"� the statement said on Monday.
Other priorities include trade facilitation through new technology and digitalization, greater access to global medical supplies - a focal point amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic - and more meaningful engagement with stakeholders.
Representatives say that the pandemic has exposed flaws in an aging framework, and that the changes will be essential for economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 world.
