WT/MIN(24)/ST/67  
26 February  2024 
(24-1560) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MS KATHERINE TAI  
UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE  
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
It is my pleasure to join fellow ministers in Abu Dhabi for the WTO 's thirteenth Ministerial Conference.  
My sincere thanks to the United Arab Emirates for hosting us, and to Director -General Ngozi for her 
continued leadership.  
 
The world is vastly different from when the WTO was created.  Its membership also looks different 
today.  It will soon be an Organization of 166 Members, as we welcome  the accessions of Timor -Leste 
and the Union of the Comoros.   
 
We are a diverse group of economies, and we are facing new challenges  – like a worsening climate 
crisis, rapid technological change, and widening inequality.  
 
But we also have the chance to sei ze new opportunities, together.  To use trade as a force for good.  
To ensure that the benefits of trade reach more people.  To adapt, modernize, and reform the WTO 
for the better.   
 
This week 's gathering is the first real ministerial dedicated to discussing what needs to be done to 
realize this vision.   
 
I don 't need to remind anyone how significant it was for all of us to agree at the last Ministerial 
Conference that we are committed to working toward necessary reform.  I know our teams have 
been working ferv ently since then, but I also want to highlight the fact that reform is squarely on 
the agenda for this week  – and that really says something.  
 
It demonstrates the need to fundamentally re -orient the global trading system to build our middle 
classes togethe r and to make sure the WTO remains relevant and effective.  
 
This week is an opportunity for us to take stock of where we are and chart a future path together.  
And we know that we have more work to do in several areas.  
 
That includes rebuilding the WTO 's ability to negotiate new rules for the new challenges that we 
face, such as addressing the massive disruptions from non -market policies and practices and 
reflecting better the interests of our workers.  
 
That also includes dispute settlement reform, where t he goal is not just to go back to the way things 
used to be, but rather to provide confidence that the system is fair and to better allow Members to 
settle their disputes.  
 
Underpinning all of this, we need to restore transparency as a meaningful norm at t he WTO.  
 
Transparency is a precondition to ensuring fairness and accountability in how this Organization 
operates.  Every WTO Member has the responsibility to let others know of their laws and regulations 
affecting trade.  
 WT/MIN(24)/ST/67  
 
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  This is critical for fair competit ion and a level playing field for working people everywhere, in 
developing and developed economies alike  – the very people this system should empower and lift 
up.  
 
Through all of this work, our collective goal should be to shift our focus back to the WTO 's founding 
principles and values, so that we can emerge stronger and more resilient.  
 
This Ministerial Conference will be an important milestone but it is not the end of our journey.  Reform 
will be at the heart of our work moving forward.  As the global eco nomy continues to evolve, we will 
change and adapt, to deliver for working communities everywhere.  
 
Trade cannot solve all of our problems, but the WTO has an important role to play in shaping our 
future.  
 
A successful ministerial will not be measured by t he number of deals made this week  – it will be 
measured by the work of Ministers to craft a forward -looking vision across all levels of development.  
 
The United States will continue to play an active role in this effort, and I look forward to working 
with all of you this week and beyond . 
 
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