The G20 Meeting of the Trade, Investment and Industry Working Group (TIIWG) expressed support for 6 priority issues to address global trade challenges. The TIIWG meeting was held in Nusa Dua Bali 19-20 September 2022 and was the culmination of meetings previously held in March and July 2022.
The Director General of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, as Chair of the TIIWG, hopes that the collective discussions provide a strong basis for closer collaboration among G20 Ministers.
“The TIIWG working group collaborates in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are in line with priority issues, particularly those regarding poverty alleviation, hunger, good health, and welfare,” explained Djatmiko.
The six priority issues supported by the TIIWG are: World Trade Organization (WTO) reforms; the role of the multilateral trading system to strengthen the SDGs; trade and investment responses in dealing with the pandemic and the global health architecture; digital trade and global value chains; strengthening sustainable and inclusive investment for global economic recovery; and coherence between trade, investment and industry.
“As a form of support for the priority agenda of the G20 TIIWG Presidency, the G20 countries made positive contributions in various discussions to strengthen the multilateral trading system, reform the WTO, and encourage digital trade that can overcome various gaps, and encourage digital literacy,” said Djatmiko.
Djatmiko also stated that current conditions are a challenge in and of itself to efforts to reach consensus among the G20 countries. Therefore, the G20 needs to continue to emphasize its relevance as an important multilateral economic forum in responding to today’s world challenges.
“Indonesia’s G20 presidency plays a role in encouraging the achievement of common goals to overcome the challenges of a stronger global economy now and in the future,” he said. Djatmiko also emphasized that in the working group for the trade, investment and industry sectors, Indonesia had made maximum efforts to encourage agreement among members. The spirit of cooperation among G20 members is the key to the success of this meeting.