Geneva, Oct. 28 -- World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged smaller and developing countries, including Nepal, to actively defend the multilateral trading system and push for reforms to make global trade rules work better for them.

Interacting with journalists from developing countries during the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung-World Trade Organization Outreach Programme for Journalists, held alongside Aid for Trade Global Review Week 2026 in Geneva on Tuesday, Okonjo-Iweala spoke about the challenges facing smaller economies amid growing reliance on power-based trade relations.

She said countries with limited economic and political influence stood to lose the most if the global trading system became domina...