The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned that the global trading system is undergoing its most severe disruption in approximately 80 years, marking a structural breakdown of the post-war trade order.
Speaking at a WTO ministerial conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Okonjo-Iweala stated that the current global trade environment has been fundamentally altered by overlapping crises, stressing that “the world order… has irrevocably changed.”
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She attributed the disruption to a convergence of geopolitical conflicts, economic fragmentation, and systemic shocks affecting critical supply chains.
These include instability in energy markets, fertiliser shortages, and food supply disruptions, all of which have intensified under ongoing global tensions, particularly conflicts in the Middle East. According to her, the multilateral trading system long anchored by shared rules and cooperation is increasingly under strain as countries shift toward protectionism and unilateral policies.
This shift has weakened trust, reduced transparency, and slowed progress on global trade reforms. She further highlighted structural failures within the WTO itself, including the paralysis of its dispute settlement system and poor compliance with subsidy reporting obligations among member states.
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These gaps, she warned, are deepening divisions and undermining fair competition in global markets. Despite the disruption, Okonjo-Iweala noted that a significant share of global trade still operates under WTO frameworks, but insisted that urgent reforms are required to adapt to emerging realities such as digital trade, climate pressures, and shifting geopolitical alliances.
Her warning underscores growing concern among global policymakers that without coordinated reform, the international trading system could fragment further, with long-term consequences for global economic stability and growth.
Source: Nairametrics
