What Changed
- Highlighting that the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force in September 2025, prohibiting subsidies to IUU fishing, overfished stocks, and unregulated high seas fishing.
- Calling on WTO members to complete the 'Fish 2' negotiations to further enhance fisheries subsidy disciplines.
- Promoting cross-institutional partnerships through the Geneva Nexus initiative, created in June 2026 to address ocean governance, trade, biodiversity, health, and food security.
In remarks delivered on 5 November 2026, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala underscored the critical relationship between international trade, environmental sustainability, and the global ocean economy. Valued at US$ 2.6 trillion and supporting approximately 133 million jobs, the ocean economy is a key driver of global commerce and food security, with more than 80% of globally traded goods transported by sea. Stressing that there is no trade-off between economic prosperity and sustainability, the Director-General cautioned that the ongoing decline in marine biodiversity directly threatens the trade, food security, and livelihoods that depend on ocean resources.
### Multilateral Trade System and Sustainable Ocean Development
Despite ongoing geopolitical turbulence, approximately 72 per cent of world goods trade continues to take place under WTO most-favoured-nation (MFN) terms. Director-General Okonjo-Iweala pointed out that the multilateral trading system has delivered tangible outcomes for sustainable ocean development, most notably through the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which entered into force in September 2025, represents the first WTO agreement placed explicitly with environmental sustainability at its core. Under its provisions, the Agreement prohibits subsidies granted to:
1. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing;
2. Fishing targeting overfished stocks; and
3. Fishing conducted on the unregulated high seas.
To build upon this framework, the Director-General urged WTO members to conclude the remaining negotiations on fisheries subsidies, referred to as "Fish 2." Completion of these negotiations is intended to further enhance and strengthen the binding disciplines of the Agreement.
### Supporting Coastal Economies and Existing Trade Tools
Moving island and coastal economies up the ocean economy value chain remains a central priority. Achieving this requires enhancing local access to essential resources, including technology, technical skills, physical infrastructure, and development finance needed to process marine products, secure required certifications, and enter global consumer markets.
The Director-General emphasized that several existing WTO instruments and trade mechanisms already support these development objectives:
- **WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement:** Assists in accelerating cross-border procedures and customs clearance for perishable goods.
- **WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution:** Examines critical environmental issues including single-use plastics and facilitates access to waste-management technologies.
- **Environmental Sustainability Discussions:** Addresses access to environmental goods and services necessary for the broader green transition.
- **Development Initiatives:** Delivers technical assistance and capacity building through mechanisms such as the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).
### Inter-Agency Partnerships: The Geneva Nexus
Addressing complex ocean governance requires sustained cooperation across multilateral bodies. The Director-General highlighted the Geneva Nexus, an informal knowledge-sharing group established in June 2026 by the Permanent Mission of Portugal and several other UN Missions in Geneva. Focused on ocean governance, trade, biodiversity, health, and food security, the initiative brings together major international bodies.
Geneva Nexus session partners include the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the WTO, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Following the Director-General's address, Yuvan Beejadhur, Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the WTO, moderated a panel discussion featuring experts from these partner organizations.
### Practical Implications for Businesses and Legal Professionals
For businesses, exporters, and legal advisors operating in the marine and fisheries sectors, these legal and institutional developments signal stricter enforcement against harmful fishing practices alongside expanding compliance mechanisms. Exporters must align with subsidy prohibitions while making strategic use of trade facilitation tools, quality certification programs, and green transition initiatives.
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### Frequently Asked Questions
**Q1: When did the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies enter into force, and what does it prohibit?**
**A:** The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force in September 2025. It prohibits subsidies provided for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fishing of overfished stocks, and fishing on the unregulated high seas.
**Q2: What is the purpose of the "Fish 2" negotiations?**
**A:** "Fish 2" refers to the second phase of fisheries subsidies negotiations aimed at completing remaining disciplines to further strengthen and expand the provisions of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
**Q3: What is the Geneva Nexus, and when was it created?**
**A:** The Geneva Nexus is an informal knowledge-sharing group created in June 2026 by the Permanent Mission of Portugal and other UN Missions in Geneva to address ocean governance, trade, biodiversity, health, and food security in cooperation with international organizations.
**Q4: Which existing trade mechanisms support sustainable ocean development according to the WTO Director-General?**
**A:** Supported instruments include the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, the WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution, environmental sustainability discussions regarding green transition goods and services, the Enhanced Integrated Framework, and the Standards and Trade Development Facility.
Who May Be Affected
Governments, commercial fishing fleets, seafood exporters, coastal and island economies, trade law professionals, and international organizations.
Cross-Border Context
Multilateral WTO framework applicable across WTO member jurisdictions; touches on international high seas, global seafood trade, and cross-border environmental governance.
What to check next
- Monitor the progress and text of the ongoing 'Fish 2' WTO fisheries subsidy negotiations.
- Review specific member implementation and compliance mechanisms under the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult the official text and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances where needed.