Morocco's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Omar Zniber, has been appointed President of the Committee of Participants to the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP) for the 2025–2026 term. This appointment reflects renewed recognition of Morocco's credibility on the multilateral stage, its strong regional leadership, and its ongoing commitment to advancing South-South cooperation and promoting a fairer and more inclusive international trading system. Established on April 19, 1989, the GSTP currently brings together 42 members, including Morocco, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Thailand. It remains the only interregional agreement legally based on the WTO's Enabling Clause and administered by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Its purpose is to foster South-South trade through tariff concessions, sectoral cooperation, and trade facilitation. In her letter inviting Morocco's candidacy, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan praised «Morocco's unwavering commitment to multilateralism and its leadership in promoting South-South cooperation». She also highlighted Morocco's sustained engagement with the GSTP, recalling its previous presidency of the Committee from 1997 to 2002 and its continuing role as the Agreement's depository. As Chair of the Committee, Morocco will be responsible for convening and presiding over meetings, facilitating dialogue among members, and injecting new momentum into the mechanism. This mandate comes at a time of complex international challenges, marked by trade tensions and major economic difficulties for developing countries. Morocco's presidency aims to revitalize the GSTP, strengthen collective resilience among Southern countries, and unlock the potential of their mutual exchanges. In this context, Morocco will preside over the 33rd session of the GSTP Committee of Participants on September 25, 2025, in Geneva, before hosting a high-level ministerial event on October 22, 2025, alongside UNCTAD's 16th Conference (UNCTAD 16), scheduled for October 20–23 in Geneva. Through this appointment, Morocco reaffirms its growing role in global value chains and its determination to actively contribute to building a fairer, more sustainable international trading system.
