International trade and development A/RES/74/201 in, inter alia, international trade as an important action area for sustainable development; 5. Notes with concern that the World Trade Organization is increasingly affected by insufficient progress in multilateral trade negotiations and that it is imperative for the World Trade Organization to address issues that are at the heart of current problems in international trade, and recognizes in this regard the need to strengthen the World Trade Organization, with a view to ensuring the continued viability and effectiveness of its dispute settlement, negotiating and monitoring functions; 6. Recommits firmly to promoting a universal, rules-based, open, transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, as well as meaningful trade liberalization; 7. Emphasizes the urgent need to combat protectionism in all its forms and to rectify any trade-distorting measures that are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules, recognizing the right of countries, in particular developing countries, to fully utilize flexibilities consistent with their World Trade Organization commitments and obligations, and also emphasizes that the work of the World Trade Organization shall maintain development at its centre, with provisions for special and differential treatment remaining integral; 8. Urges the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral economic, financial or trade measures that are not authorized by relevant organs of the United Nations, that are inconsistent with the principles of international law or the Charter of the United Nations or that contravene the basic principles of the multilateral trading system and that affect, in part icular, but not exclusively, developing countries; 9. Calls upon all members of the World Trade Organization to urgently conclude negotiations on fisheries subsidies in 2019, consistent with the decision of the eleventh Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization 6 and with a view to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals; 10. Underlines the importance of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation annexed to the Protocol amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization in improving transparency, expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit, and thereby reducing trade costs, and in this regard encourages its full and effective implementation, including through enhanced support towards its implementation; 11. Looks forward to the convening of the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Barbados from 18 to 23 October 2020; 12. Welcomes the convening of the twelfth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization in Nur-Sultan from 8 to 11 June 2020, looks forward to achieving positive outcomes in a balanced, inclusive and transparent way, and expresses its appreciation to the Government of Kazakhstan for hosting the meeting; 13. Reiterates the important role of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as the focal point within the United Nations system for the integrated treatment of trade and development and interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development, and in contributing to supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; 14. Reaffirms the commitment at the very heart of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind and commit to taking more tangible steps to support people in __________________ 6 19-22414 WT/MIN(17)/64-WT/L/1031 of 13 December 2017. 3/4