From Left to Right: Dr. Shamika N. Sirimanne – Senior Advisor to the Secretary-General, UNCTAD, Ms. Priya Pansare-Director, Trade and Investment Promotions, Dr. Carlos María Correa – Executive Director, South Centre, Ms. Silvia Sorescu – Project Lead Trade Facilitation, OECD , Mr. Robert Skidmore – Chief of Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness, ITC
The World Trade Centre-WTO Public Forum is the organization’s largest annual outreach event, offering a unique platform for stakeholders worldwide to engage on the latest developments in global trade and explore ways to strengthen the multilateral trading system. Each year, it brings together speakers and participants from civil society, academia, business, government, international organizations, and the media.
The WTO Public Forum 2025 edition, held in Geneva on 17–18 September under the theme “Enhance, Create and Preserve,” reaffirmed this role with 320 speakers across 88 sessions and around 4,200 participants. Discussions focused on how trade can adapt to digital transformation, economic uncertainty, and inclusivity. This report presents some of the Forum’s key panels , particularly those showcasing the challenges and opportunities for MSMEs with Ms. Priya Pansare, Director of Trade Promotions, World Trade Center Mumbai contributing actively to these discussions, emphasizing digital trade and MSME empowerment
The Forum opened with a high-level panel on “Trade, Trust and Transformation: Business Perspectives,” where WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala set the tone for two days of debate. She stressed that WTO members had made progress in tariff reduction but insisted that modernization was urgent, declaring that “the status quo is not an option.” indicating that the multilateral trading system must evolve to address digital trade, shifting supply chains, and inclusivity. She also emphasized the need for inclusive participation, particularly from developing economies and SMEs, and for embedding sustainability at the core of trade policy. The session was moderated by Mr. Chad P. Bown, Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and Ms. Cecilia Malmström, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Business leaders from across continents, such as Mr. Philippe Varin of the International Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Rosario Navarro Betteley of Chile’s SOFOFA, and Ms. Cynthia Sanfilippo of L’Oréal, highlighted the risks that policy unpredictability poses to supply chains and global operations. Mr. Yoji Saito, Global Chief Advisor at Mitsubishi Electric, reflected on 25 years in trade, noting the importance of tariff codes and the vulnerabilities faced by SMEs in global supply chains, citing examples from factories in Thailand. Ms. Lola Aworanti, Founder of Afriborder, emphasized Africa’s trade at 50–70%, but noted that weak logistics connectivity and USD-dependent payments limit efficiency must be addressed. Collectively, the speakers underscored that SMEs, not just multinational corporations, are most exposed to disruptions and need more predictable frameworks to thrive.
A second discussion on Day 1 examined “US Trade Policy and Its Impact on Global Digital Regulation,” moderated by Mr. Rishab Bailey, Research Director at Public Citizen. Panelists included Ms. Lynn Boylan, Member of the European Parliament, Sinn Féin; Mr. Abhijit Das, Head of the Centre for WTO Studies at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade; Ms. Sanya Reid Smith, Legal Advisor and Senior Researcher at the Third World Network; and Ms. Sofia Scasserra, Associate Researcher at the Transnational Institute. The discussion focused on the extraterritorial impact of U.S. digital policies, which can constrain the policy space of developing countries. Panelists cautioned against a new form of “digital colonialism,” where global standards are shaped by a few powerful economies, leaving others as passive consumers of technology.
Steering the Dialogue: WTC Mumbai at the Forefront of MSME Digital Trade
Day 2 delivered one of the Forum’s most resonant sessions: “Empowering MSMEs Through Digital Trade.” H.E. Senthil Pandian, Ambassador of India to the WTO, delivered the keynote address, with Ms. Priya Pansare, Director of Trade Promotions at WTC Mumbai, representing both WTC Mumbai and AIAI as the moderator of the session. In her opening remarks, she described WTC Mumbai’s five-decade legacy of advancing entrepreneurs, startups, and women-led enterprises under its guiding philosophy of “Prosperity through Trade.” She highlighted India’s digital transformation, from the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), now handling more than 12 billion monthly transactions, to the National e-Marketplace and ONDC, which provide artisans, cooperatives, and women entrepreneurs with access to new markets. Ms. Pansare also cited Indian startups in agriculture, textiles, logistics, and healthcare as examples of how innovation builds resilience and competitiveness, while cautioning that many developing countries still face infrastructure, finance, and digital literacy challenges.
The panel discussion included Dr. Carlos María Correa, Executive Director of the South Centre; Dr. Shamika N. Sirimanne, Senior Advisor to the UNCTAD Secretary-General; Mr. Robert Skidmore, Chief of Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness at the International Trade Centre (ITC); and Ms. Silvia Sorescu, representing the OECD. Dr. Correa emphasized that innovation must be nurtured with context-specific policies, warning against fragmented or one-size-fits-all regulation. Dr. Sirimanne highlighted preconditions for MSMEs to succeed in digital trade, including infrastructure, skills, and financing, noting that prohibitive upfront costs often deter smaller firms. Mr. Skidmore shared ITC’s experience working with 5,000–10,000 MSMEs annually, stressing digital literacy, capacity building, and resilient supply chains, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Sorescu addressed regulatory complexities in cross-border digital trade, noting divergent standards between the Global North and South and the risk of data fragmentation, and called for a global consensus that balances efficiency with inclusivity.
The discussion was highly interactive, with audience questions ranging from harmonizing regulations across borders to enabling finance for women-led MSMEs and bridging the digital divide. Panelists emphasized multi-stakeholder collaboration and the need for practical, inclusive policy frameworks. In her closing remarks, Ms. Priya Pansare reaffirmed that digital trade is not only a tool but a transformative engine of inclusive growth, innovation, and resilience, stressing that infrastructure, finance, digital skills, and regulatory reform must be combined with international cooperation and public–private partnerships to ensure that every MSME has the opportunity to succeed.
WTC Mumbai supports the panel’s objectives by connecting MSMEs to global markets, providing capacity-building and digital trade guidance, and fostering public–private partnerships. By equipping small businesses with the tools and opportunities to innovate and grow, it helps ensure that MSMEs thrive in the digital economy, directly reflecting the Forum’s vision of enhancing opportunities, creating impact, and preserving inclusivity.
The WTO Public Forum 2025 concluded with a strong message: the global trading system must evolve to be more inclusive, innovative, and resilient. From reforms to safeguard policy space to empowering MSMEs with accessible technologies, the Forum underlined the urgency of collective action. For India, and for World Trade Center Mumbai in particular, the event provided a stage to demonstrate leadership in digital innovation and MSME empowerment while contributing meaningfully to shaping a fairer and more connected global economy.