Global Review to explore strengthening partnerships for trade development

Held under the theme "Partnerships for trade development", the Review will take stock of two decades of trade development impact and explore how new resources and new partners can help tackle the challenges facing world trade.

Consisting of three plenary sessions, three regional spotlights and around 30 member-led sessions, the event will allow participants to look into how trade can deliver more benefits for developing economies. Topics to be covered will range from the diversification of global value chains, trade facilitation and standards to services, digital trade and transition to net zero.

The event will be opened by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann.

More information on the Review is available here. The page will be updated regularly with programme details, Aid for Trade impact stories, photos and other resources.

Registration is open from 1 May to 30 September 2026. The form to participate in the Global Review can be found here.

Background

The Aid-for-Trade initiative aims to help developing economies tackle trade-related obstacles, strengthen their capacity to trade and build the infrastructure they need to integrate more fully into the international trading system. It is part of Official Development Assistance (ODA), comprising both grants and concessional loans, and it accounts for one-fifth of total ODA. Every two years, the WTO brings the international community together for a Global Review to take stock of progress and to spotlight the evolving needs and priorities of developing economies, including LDCs.