Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau attended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Ministerial Gathering in Davos.

Held on the margins of the World Economic Forum, the gathering provided an opportunity for participating ministers to have candid exchanges on key priorities and actions to be taken towards the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12).

Mr Yau said Hong Kong is committed to engaging actively and constructively in various initiatives under the WTO to deliver concrete outcomes at the MC12.

Noting that this year marks the WTO’s 25th anniversary, Mr Yau pointed out that it has clearly achieved a great deal in liberalising and facilitating trade in the past 25 years.

He also remarked that there is much more to do in view of changing global and economic situations. He urged WTO members to redouble their efforts and remain constructively engaged in pursuing a productive MC12.

Mr Yau then reiterated Hong Kong's concerns about the continued blockage of the Appellate Body selection process.

He appealed to WTO members to explore pragmatic solutions to lift the blockage and prioritise other reform efforts to ensure the rules-based multilateral trading system remains strong and effective.

Earlier, Mr Yau attended a meeting on the WTO Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce where he reaffirmed Hong Kong's commitment to work closely with WTO members to make further progress with the initiative.