aims to navigate emerging trade challenges

GUYANA, through the World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG), is actively participating in the 55th Annual General Assembly and Global Business Forum of the World Trade Centres Association (WTCA), which officially opened on Sunday. The three-day international event brings together global leaders and experts to address the evolving dynamics of international trade and investment.

This year’s forum is focused on navigating key trends and developments that are reshaping global commerce. With mounting uncertainty in international trade—especially surrounding tariffs and shifting economic alliances—the forum aims to foster dialogue and generate insights into the path forward for global economies.

A major highlight of the event will be the address by Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Angela Ellard, who is scheduled to speak today, Tuesday. Her presentation will form part of a high-level panel discussion analysing the challenges and opportunities currently shaping the global economic landscape.

Executive Chairman of WTC Georgetown, Komal Samaroo, underscored the relevance of this year’s forum, noting, “This gathering comes at the most opportune time, as nations around the world are evaluating the impact of tariffs imposed on their exports to the world’s largest economy, the USA. As the WTO celebrates its 30th anniversary, we look forward to the address by its Deputy Director General and the ensuing discussion and analysis which would help provide some certainty of the future global trading system that must drive the development of small nation states like Guyana.”
In addition to trade, the forum is also spotlighting sustainability through discussions on the Blue Economy and its role in industrial development. A key agenda item is the strengthening of partnerships between the private sector and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to promote sustainable practices.

UNIDO’s Blue Industry Programmatic Framework is being highlighted as a forward-looking initiative to align industrial development with environmental stewardship. It promotes sustainable coastal tourism, marine spatial planning, infrastructure development, shipbuilding, and logistics management—areas that are integral to thriving port economies and ocean-based industries.

This framework seeks to create a balanced relationship between people, the planet, and economic prosperity by fostering productivity, innovation, and investment in resilient blue industries.