Civil Society Groups Excluded from WTO Public Forum as Business Interests Take Over

[ABS News Service/14.09.2026]

Geneva – Global civil society groups, which primarily represent the interests of farmers, fishers, workers and small producers from developing countries, say they are being largely eclipsed at the “World Trade Organization Public Forum 2026,” with only about 5 percent of total sessions allocated to them.

In contrast, powerful lobbies such as the International Chamber of Commerce and the International Institute for Sustainable Development appear to dominate the Forum’s agenda, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous.

This year’s Public Forum, to be held at the WTO beginning tomorrow, frames services as “at the centre of the conversation” under the broad theme “Powering the future.” Meanwhile, agriculture – which provides employment and sustenance for billions in developing countries – is largely overlooked.

“At a time when serious discussions are critical to leveling the playing field in a global agriculture system dominated by asymmetries, agriculture is being neglected,” said a trade official from a developing country who wished to remain unnamed.

Amid these concerns, a coalition of global civil society groups from developing countries has sent a letter to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, warning that “civil society is being systematically sidelined from the organization’s primary outreach event.”

The coalition, including the global network Our World Is Not For Sale, highlighted the “dramatic drop in representation” as a continuation of “severe, ongoing barriers faced by CSOs at recent WTO Ministerial Conferences in Buenos Aires and Abu Dhabi.”

“The Public Forum was launched in 2001 as a way to regain legitimacy for the WTO after the disastrous Seattle ministerial in 1999 and widespread protests against corporate globalization,” the coalition stated.

To restore accountability and rebuild stakeholder trust before the 2027 Public Forum, civil society organizations are urging the WTO Secretariat to take essential steps:

· Redefine CSO Criteria: Limit CSO classification to entities directly accountable to workers, farmers, fishers, small producers, and the broader public.

· Establish Fair Stakeholder Allocations: Set clear, consultative quotas for different stakeholder groups.

· Refocus WTO’s Role: Ensure WTO-hosted panels prioritize external stakeholder participation.

· Transparent Selection Criteria: Publish clear guidelines valuing inclusion of communities directly affected by trade policies

· Reinstate Interpretation Services: Bring back multilingual interpretation for broad, inclusive global participation.

The coalition requested an urgent meeting with Ms. Okonjo-Iweala during the Public Forum to address these concerns and establish a framework for inclusive participation.

A WTO spokesperson strongly denied claims of civil society marginalization. “The claim that civil society is being systematically marginalized or silenced at the WTO Public Forum is not supported by the facts,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson emphasized that “the Public Forum is open to the full range of stakeholders engaged in international trade, including WTO members, civil society organizations, businesses, parliamentarians, academics, international organizations, and youth representatives. Civil society remains an integral part of the Forum.”

They added that “civil society organizations submitted approximately 30 percent of all proposals and are organizing 18 percent of selected sessions.”

The spokesperson insisted, “The WTO Secretariat does not determine which views civil society should represent or designate organizations as ‘legitimate’ based on their positions. Doing so would be inconsistent with the purpose of an open forum.”

Finally, the WTO stressed, “The record is clear: civil society participates substantively in the Public Forum. The Forum is not reserved for any single constituency; it is a platform for all stakeholders."