The WTO Public Forum 2025

International Geneva is coming back from its summer break — and for trade policy, it’s high time. Over the past few months, trade policy has seen fundamental shifts that will shape the second half of 2025 and set the course for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March 2026.

WTO Public Forum: A Stage for Debate and Direction

The first highlight of the season was the WTO Public Forum  from 17 to 18 September — one of the rare moments when the World Trade Organization opens its doors to civil society. It’s where the latest trends in global trade are discussed and ideas for strengthening and reforming the multilateral trading system take center stage.

This year’s forum came at a time when tariffs and trade policy are increasingly wielded as tools of power politics. That made it the perfect launchpad for charting the path toward MC14. The Ministerial Conference, after all, is the WTO’s highest decision-making body and meets only every two years. Both the Public Forum and the MC14 convene for the first time since the tariff wave of 2025. 

Pressure for Reform

“More than ever all eyes are on us” WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized earlier this year. The reason is clear: the organization has long been seen as paralyzed, with little visible progress and reform efforts stalled. The tariff wave unleashed in spring 2025 — and the worldwide reactions it triggered — have impacted global trade. So far, the WTO seems to struggle to respond, while international trade policy is increasingly decided in national capitals.

This raises the stakes for reform. The pressure isn’t just on international trade policy — it tests the broader ability of multilateral institutions to resolve conflicts.
Reform proposals are now being drafted to be discussed at MC14. Whether they will deliver a true breakthrough remains uncertain. Equally unclear is whether ministers will tackle the big questions about tariffs and trade policy that surfaced in 2025, or retreat to more technical issues.

Bridging Geneva to the World 

As 2025 draws to a close and 2026 approaches, much remains uncertain — but one thing 2025 made crystal clear already: trade policies, rules, and agreements affect us all. They shape jobs, livelihoods, and determine the economic future of entire nations.

To ensure these debates and decisions don’t stay confined to Geneva, the FES Geneva office enables journalists from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to attend both the Public Forum and the Ministerial Conferences. This rare access lets them follow trade negotiations up close, bringing diverse perspectives into the global conversation and making complex issues accessible to audiences back home.

Their reporting acts as a vital bridge between the negotiating tables and the public, who will feel the impact of these choices firsthand. Good journalism fosters transparency, sparks debate, and holds decision-makers accountable. Through tailored briefings and direct access to delegates and WTO staff, the program provides insights that will be indispensable in the critical months ahead.