The World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing one of its most dire moments, the culmination of years of slide toward oblivion and ineffectiveness. Now may be a chance to turn the tide and reemerge as a champion of free and fair trade—or face a future further in doubt, according to AP.

For the first time in 4.5 years, after a pandemic pause, government ministers from WTO countries will gather for four days starting Sunday to tackle issues like overfishing of the seas, COVID-19 vaccines for the developing world and food security at a time when Russia’s war in Ukraine has blocked the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to developing nations.

Facing a key test of her diplomatic skill since taking the job 15 months ago, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in recent days expressed “cautious optimism” that progress could be made on at least one of four issues expected to dominate the meeting: fisheries subsidies, agriculture, the pandemic response and reform of the organization, spokesman Fernando Puchol said.

Diplomats and trade teams have been working “flat out—long, long hours” to serve up at least one “clean text” for a possible agreement—that ministers can simply rubber-stamp and not have to negotiate—on one of those issues, Puchol told reporters Friday.

“It’s difficult to predict a result right now,” he said.

Some outside experts expect few accomplishments out of the meeting, saying the main one may simply be getting the ministers to the table.

Alan Wolff, a former WTO deputy director-general, sounded optimistic that members could make at least some he