As part of the preparations for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled for 26-29 March 2026, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, began preparatory work for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) on 26 May 2025. This work is part of a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring the success of MC14, a major event for international trade.
On May 25, 2025, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala arrived in Cameroun to chair the work on the organization of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization that began on the 26th May 2025 and that are planned to end the next day. A framework agreement between the WTO and Cameroon was however agreed on, as it defines the respective responsibilities in the organization of the said conference. The Director-General, during her stay in Cameroon, will inspect key infrastructure, such as the Palais des Congrès and other sites intended to accommodate international delegations.
“This is the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, and the second to be held on African soil. So it’s very important. It’s an African and global ministerial conference.”
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO – Nigéria
The 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), scheduled to take place in Yaoundé from March 26 to 29, 2026, represents a key moment for the African multilateral trading system, according to experts. The main challenges of this conference for African countries are that it can enable reform of the multilateral trading system, reduce trade distortions caused by subsidies granted by rich countries to their producers, implement binding rules to prohibit subsidies that promote overfishing and illegal fishing, and ensure that countries of the South are not marginalized in the digital economy.
“This conference will address important issues such as WTO reform. Africa is currently in a bad position regarding trade, and we would like to make things better so that Africa can benefit more from the WTO.”
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO – Nigéria
Lets recall that the share of developing African countries in global trade remains very small despite their potential in raw materials, labor, and innovation. Moreover, Africa’s share of global exports is approximately 3%, and the share of African countries in trade services is less than 2%, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
