On December 10, 2025, His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Leslie Ramsammy was elected, by acclamation, Chair of the Negotiating Group on Rules (NGR) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Ambassador Ramsammy, having served as Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture for the period 2011-2015, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. In his inaugural remarks to the NGR as chair, Dr. Ramsammy expressed his commitment to steering the committee through a process that is both inclusive and transparent.
“I will ensure that the voices of all WTO members — large and small, developed and developing – are heard and respected. My aim is to build on the work so far and achieve consensus towards further negotiations on a solid foundation of trust and shared responsibility so that our collective efforts could contribute to restoring the health of our oceans for future generations.”
Ambassador Ramsammy succeeded His Excellency Einar Gunnarsson of Iceland as Chair of the NGR.
In keeping with SDG 14.6, the negotiation’s mandate explicitly refers to the prohibition of certain forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing. How exactly new WTO rules should respond to that mandate—beyond the targeted prohibitions included in the 2022 Fisheries Subsidies Agreement—has been the subject of intense discussion among WTO members.
The NGR is comprises of all 166 WTO Members, with supported by the WTO Secretariat, is responsible for the negotiating of additional disciplines relation to over-capacity and over-fishing (OCOF).
In keeping with SDG 14.6, the negotiation’s mandate explicitly refers to the prohibition of certain forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing. How exactly new WTO rules should respond to that mandate—beyond the targeted prohibitions included in the 2022 Fisheries Subsidies Agreement—has been the subject of intense discussion among WTO members.
Our sincere congratulations to Ambassador Dr. Lisie Ramswamy from the staff of www.democracyguyana.com.
Ambassador Dr. Ramswamy has been an integral part of our journalistic family and has made invaluable contributions through his insightful articles, greatly enriching our readers and strengthening public discourse.
We wish him continued success in his distinguished service.