20 Years of Nepal’s Accession to the WTO. What have we achieved? And what is the way forward

On May 19, 2024, the WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) Nepal at Kathmandu University School of Management hosted a high-level panel discussion titled “20 Years of Nepal’s Accession to the WTO: What Have We Achieved? And What Is the Way Forward?” The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders—including academics, policymakers, civil society members, and private sector leaders—to reflect on Nepal’s two-decade journey since joining the World Trade Organization.
Chaired by Dr. Toya Narayan Gyawali, Member Secretary of the National Planning Commission, and moderated by Mr. Aswin Parajuli, CEO of SEJON, the panel featured distinguished speakers such as Dr. Biju Thapaliya, Mr. Liladhar Adhikari, Dr. Paras Kharel, Dr. Yamuna Ghale, and Mr. Vishnu Kumar Agrawal. The discussion highlighted Nepal’s mixed outcomes from WTO membership, including improved global market access alongside persistent trade deficits and domestic deindustrialization.
Panelists emphasized the urgent need to transform the agriculture sector, enhance domestic production, and build competitive capacity for global trade. They also underscored the importance of regional trade negotiations, strategic policy alignment for Nepal’s transition from LDC status, and the development of trade infrastructure through coordinated efforts among government, private sector, and civil society. The event served as a critical platform for charting a forward-looking trade strategy for Nepal.