WTO News

1. Austria contributes EUR 200,000 to support academic institutions in developing economies

   Austria has made a 2026 contribution of EUR 200,000 (approximately CHF 187,000) to the WTO Chairs Programme, the organization’s main technical assistance programme for providing support to academic institutions in developing and least developed country (LDC) economies.

2. Fish Fund launches second Call for Proposals

   The WTO Fish Fund opened its second Call for Proposals on 2 February, inviting developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO members that have ratified the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to apply for project grants aimed at supporting their implementation of the Agreement.

3. Reminder: Media accreditation for 14th Ministerial Conference closes on 26 February

   Members of the media wishing to attend the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) have until 26 February 2026 (midnight, Central European Time) to submit their applications for accreditation. MC14 will take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from 26 to 29 March 2026.

4. Applications open for WTO advanced global workshop on government procurement

   Government officials from WTO members and observers eligible to benefit from WTO technical assistance activities are invited to apply to take part in the 2026 Advanced Global Workshop on the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) 2012 to be held from 20 to 24 April 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. Applications can be submitted until 13 February 2026.

5. Government Procurement Agreement thresholds updated for 2026–2027

   The WTO has published updated government procurement thresholds for individual parties to the Agreement on Government Procurement 2012 (GPA 2012) covering the period 2026–2027. Under the GPA 2012, companies from GPA parties may bid for certain public contracts in other GPA parties if the estimated value of the contract meets or exceeds the relevant threshold set out in each party’s schedule.