At the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), WTO Members were expected to advance a number of environmental outcomes. These included a long-awaited step forward on fisheries subsidies reform talks, as well as Ministerial Statements cosponsored by different groups of WTO Members on Trade and Environmental Sustainability, Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade, and Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform. As the Ministerial Conference has been postponed, the cosponsors of the three separate Ministerial Statements are currently considering options for rescheduling the launch of the statements given the new travel and health regulations and in light of the proposed new timing of MC12 in March 2022.

The purpose of this session is to hear regional perspectives on the proposed statements from stakeholders and experts working in developing countries. Panellists will provide views on the significance of the environment initiatives at the WTO in the context of efforts to support trade and trade policies that advance environmental and wider sustainability goals in their respective regions. Looking ahead, panellists will also reflect on priorities, opportunities, challenges and next steps on the trade-environment nexus at the WTO, all in the context of wider sustainable development, social inclusion goals and the Covid-19 pandemic.