At MC14, WTO members sought ministers' endorsement of the work plan so that work could start as early as April 2026. Ministers also engaged in a high-level political exchange on WTO reform.

Before MC14, the reform facilitator, Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, presented at the General Council meeting on 10-11 March 2026 a report, under his own responsibility, which summarizes the work carried out in a month-long series of consultations and lays out members' views on substantive issues on reform as well as on process. He submitted to the General Council the culmination of this work, which was a draft Yaoundé Ministerial Statement on WTO Reform and a draft WTO Reform Work Plan for possible endorsement at MC14.

Draft ministerial statement and work plan on WTO reform

The draft statement contained a commitment from ministers to pursue work on advancing reforms following MC14. It also instructed officials in Geneva to intensify their work and provide concrete and substantive recommendations for action by the next Ministerial Conference.

The work plan outlined the scope of the future work, starting with the areas where members have recently focused their initial efforts, including decision making, development and special and differential treatment, and level playing field issues. It set out modalities for how the work will be carried out, with indicative timelines and check points. It also included a reference to reform of the WTO's dispute settlement system, noting that consultations will continue after MC14 under the auspices of the Dispute Settlement Body.

Ambassador Ølberg also noted that this draft carefully balanced the perspectives of all 166 members, reconciling differing levels of ambition and specificity. The facilitator recognized that concerns amongst members on the draft persist, and he noted that further drafting alone will not resolve them.

During the reform month, members exchanged views on the level of ambition on the draft ministerial statement and work plan. They also discussed how to move the work forward after MC14. Members also discussed how to frame the ministerial conversations at MC14, including key questions for ministers.

Simultaneously, WTO members put forward proposals on WTO reform. These included proposals from the Least Developed Countries Group, the African Group, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, the United States, the European Union, China, Paraguay, and the United Kingdom.

At MC14, WTO members agreed to bring the latest draft of the Yaoundé ministerial declaration on WTO reform and work plan back to Geneva, with the aim of finalizing agreement on WTO reform at a forthcoming meeting of the General Council. The draft declaration was included in the annex of the MC14 Chair's Summary issued at the end of the conference.

Path forward

At the first General Council meeting following MC14 (6-7 May), the incoming Chair - Ambassador Clare Kelly - announced that she intends to continue consultations with members on the transition to the substantive phase of WTO reform work based on members' contributions. She said that she would revert with her views on the way forward based on these consultations at the July General Council meeting, or sooner if possible. In the meantime, she urged delegations to begin their own work on their individual contributions, and as part of groups of like-minded members.

Background

Following his appointment as facilitator on reform in June 2025, Ambassador Ølberg launched an initial round of informal consultations to gather members’ views on shaping a comprehensive WTO reform process that is open, inclusive, transparent, and member-driven.

After his initial consultations, the facilitator suggested that members organize their discussions around three tracks: 1. Governance (institutional issues); 2. Fairness (level playing field and balanced trade); and 3. Issues of our time. Over the past nine months, members have focused their work on areas where convergence could be achieved. These areas include development and special and differential treatment, decision making, and level playing field, as a starting point.

At the December 2025 meeting of the General Council, the facilitator outlined his perspective on what reform at MC14 and beyond could entail. He suggested that ministers could engage in a political-level discussion, including on foundational issues, and endorse a balanced plan for post-MC14 reform work, with clearly defined checkpoints and modalities.

Dispute settlement reform

Dispute settlement reform is a priority which WTO members have overwhelmingly reaffirmed as part of wider discussions on WTO reform. The issue took on greater urgency after members were unable to reach consensus on the appointment of new Appellate Body (AB) members due to objections from the United States. This blockage eventually led to the Appellate Body no longer being able to function, starting from 11 December 2019.

At the December 2025 General Council meeting, Ambassador Kelly, then the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) chair, reported that many members have underlined the importance of ministers instructing officials to continue dispute settlement reform discussions after MC14. After MC14, at the May 2026 General Council meeting, Ambassador Kelly, as GC Chair, noted that the draft Declaration and Work Plan on WTO Reform annexed to the MC14 Chair's Summary acknowledges that consultations on dispute settlement reform should continue following MC14 under the auspices of the DSB.

Nevertheless, the dispute settlement system remains active. Members continue to use the WTO's dispute settlement procedures and alternative mechanisms as necessary, ensuring that the system supports a stable and predictable global trading environment. In 2025, members brought 13 new cases to the WTO dispute system, the highest number since the AB impasse in 2019, which signals confidence in the system. A group of 130 members continues to advocate for the selection of new Appellate Body members while the reform discussions continue.