The World Trade Organization's 164 members approved a series of trade agreements early today that included commitments on fish and pledges on health and food security after more than five gruelling days of talks.
The deals were ground out over five days of bargaining at a conference of more than 100 trade ministers. The conference was seen as a test of the ability of nations to strike multilateral trade deals amid geopolitical tensions heightened by the Ukraine war.
Delegates cheered after they passed the package of six agreements just before dawn today. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told them: "The package of agreements you have reached will make a difference to the lives of people around the world.
The outcomes demonstrate that the WTO is in fact capable of responding to emergencies of our time." Earlier she had appealed to WTO members to consider the "delicate balance" required after nearly round-the-clock talks that were extended for an extra two days and have at times been charged with anger and accusations.