This was said by Okonjo-Iweala at the WTO General Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2025.

Her rebuke came as Li Chenggang, China’s ambassador to the WTO, expressed deep concern about the detrimental effects of the US unilateral tariffs and urged her to remove them. She also urged all parties to take significant action to support the rules-based multilateral trading system, which struck a deep chord with the audience.

“It is crucial that we keep strengthening the multilateral trading system, making sure that it continues to be a source of stability and opportunity for all members,” Okonjo-Iweala told the Council.

“The WTO was established specifically to handle situations like this in order to foster an open, predictable discourse, stop disputes from getting out of hand, and trading environment.

Let us fully utilize this platform to interact with one another in good faith, calmly and constructively discuss problems, and look for collaborative solutions that preserve and improve the equilibrium of international trade relations.

After her comments, 32 members in all took the floor.

In general, participants emphasized how crucial the WTO is to promoting economic growth and development worldwide, especially for emerging and least-developed nations.

Many who spoke emphasized the need of respecting the WTO’s rules and ideals and urged caution in acts that could jeopardize the system.

According to Okonjo-Iweala, she has been holding meetings with WTO members to talk about the larger geopolitical environment and investigate other approaches the organization could take.

“The main point I have conveyed is that we need to remain calm and receptive to communication despite the present uncertainties,” she stated.