He made this statement during a meeting with WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and 31 key WTO member countries in Paris, France.
"Indonesia promises that in the upcoming 14th Ministerial Meeting in Cameroon, the WTO must achieve better results. Of course, Indonesia will assign its ambassador to the WTO to make preparations related to the plan," Hartarto stated during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
He remarked that WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala herself recognizes Indonesia's strategic position, not only as a major Southeast Asian nation but also as a representative of inclusive developing countries.
Since its founding in 1995, the WTO has successfully reduced tariffs, boosted global trade, and contributed to poverty reduction and job creation.
However, Hartarto noted that over the last five years, the WTO has faced various challenges that have hindered its effectiveness.
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These challenges include global economic instability, unilateral actions by some countries, differences of opinion regarding the WTO mandate, and stagnation in its dispute resolution mechanisms.
"Now we see unilateral actions that certainly disrupt policies that are usually multilateral in nature," he pointed out.
Hence, he views the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, scheduled for March 26-29, 2026, in Cameroon, as crucial momentum for carrying out fundamental overhauls of the WTO system.
Key topics for discussion at the conference include maintaining a rule-based multilateral trading system and addressing the risks of tariff wars and protectionism.
"This is what has become a shared interest because, in meetings with ministers, almost all of them have the same view that the WTO must be reformed because the situation has changed and the upcoming ministerial conference is very crucial because the WTO is expected to not become a failed institution," Hartarto concluded.
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Translator: Bayu Saputra, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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