PALMOILMAGAZINE, GQEBERHA — Indonesia has reaffirmed its strong commitment to strengthening a fair and rules-based multilateral trading system. The statement was made by Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, during his meeting with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the sidelines of the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting (TIMM) in Gqeberha, South Africa, on Friday (October 10, 2025).
Minister Budi praised Director-General Ngozi’s leadership in maintaining trust among WTO members amid growing global economic tensions. He emphasized that Indonesia remains a staunch supporter of a multilateral trade system founded on fairness and transparency.
“Indonesia deeply values the WTO’s efforts to ensure that global trade continues to drive economic recovery and sustainable development,” Minister Budi said in a statement quoted by beige-heron-208544.hostingersite.com on Wednesday (October 15, 2025).
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The meeting also discussed key strategic issues ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026. Indonesia expressed its readiness to actively contribute to discussions on major topics, including agriculture, fisheries subsidies, customs duties on electronic transmissions (CDET), e-commerce, and WTO institutional reform.
Minister Budi also highlighted the importance of restoring the WTO’s dispute settlement system to full functionality, ensuring that it remains accessible to all members. He noted that this mechanism is essential for maintaining the WTO’s credibility and effectiveness amid evolving global economic and geopolitical challenges.
“The reform process must uphold fairness, inclusivity, and transparency so that all members can benefit equally,” he asserted.
Furthermore, Minister Budi reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to actively participating in WTO dialogues and reform efforts. He stressed that a strong, rules-based multilateral trading system is crucial for achieving fair and sustainable global economic growth.
“Indonesia believes that an inclusive, rules-based multilateral trade system is key to strengthening global economic stability,” he concluded.
Director-General Ngozi, in turn, commended Indonesia’s consistent stance in supporting consensus-based decision-making within the WTO. She emphasized that such an approach is vital to overcoming procedural challenges in ongoing negotiations ahead of MC14.
The meeting forms part of Indonesia’s broader trade diplomacy efforts to strengthen its role in global forums and ensure that developing countries’ interests remain well-represented in the international trading system. (T2)
