THE International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, launching the ‘Shipping Policy Principles for Pandemic Recovery,’ demanding governments to help economies recover from the Covid crisis.
The WTO Conference takes place amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine, which forced WTO economists to reassess expectations of merchandise trade growth downward to three per cent in 2022.
WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala proposed a formal dialogue between the WTO and the maritime transport sector.
The dialogue will be an opportunity for senior government officials and industry to exchange views on critical issues and challenges confronting the Multilateral Trading System, regarding the Covid crisis and the war in Ukraine.
Said ics secretary general Guy Platten: ‘We were very encouraged and fully support Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s message to the shipping industry proposing a formal dialogue between the WTO and the maritime transport sector.’
‘There have been a number of developments which have further emphasised the need for WTO and industry collaboration this past year. ICS and the WTO, as the facilitators of free trade throughout the world, are united on many issues but none more so than our shared values and principles of open and unimpeded access to international markets,’ said Mr Platten.
‘We are committed to engaging with the WTO in this comprehensive dialogue, and hope that our ICS shipping policy principles will provide a building block for discussions between the shipping industry and governments.’
