EMELDA MWITWA
Yaounde, Cameroon
THE World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 14th ministerial conference (MC14) opened here yesterday, with Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala delivering a candid assessment of the state of global trade and the multilateral system.
Addressing ministers, heads of state and international stakeholders, Dr Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged both the resilience of global trade and the urgent need for reform within the WTO.
Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary for trade and commerce Lillian Bwalya is leading the Zambian delegation at MC14.
Speaking against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine, Dr Okonjo-Iweala emphasised Africa’s growing role in the global economy.
With a population of 1.4 billion, vast natural resources, and a rapidly expanding middle class, Africa, she said, is “the continent of the future”.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala highlighted WTO’s achievements, noting that open trade has lifted 1.5 billion submit reports for 2025.
“We cannot forever complain, and then miss the opportunity to fix the problems,” Dr Okonjo Iweala urged, calling for political will to drive reforms in governance, development and fairness.
Key issues on the agenda
include agriculture and food security, the extension of the e-commerce moratorium, people out of extreme poverty and sustained peace among major powers for eight decades. Global goods trade grew 4.6 percent in 2025, driven largely by demand for AI-related products, while services trade expanded by 5.3 percent.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala also underscored trade opportunities in digitally delivered services, valued at US$5.26 trillion last year, and stressed the importance of supporting least developed countries (LDCs) in integrating into the global trading system.
However, forecasts for 2026 predict slower growth, with geopolitical tensions and energy prices weighing heavily on trade prospects.
“For 2026, our economists are forecasting slower 1.9 percent growth for goods trade, with the impact of frontloading gone, previously postponed tariffs kicking in, and reflecting geopolitics, energy prices, and policy uncertainty,” the WTO director-general said.
Despite trade successes of the previous year, Dr OkonjoIweala acknowledged serious shortcomings. Transparency and compliance with subsidy notifications have declined, with over 100 members failing to fisheries subsidies, and the
incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA) into the WTO framework. In a notable announcement, Türkiye lifted its objection to the IFDA, clearing the way for its adoption.
With 22 economies seeking WTO membership, including Ethiopia and Uzbekistan, Dr Okonjo-Iweala reaffirmed the organisation’s relevance despite mounting challenges.
Concluding with a call for unity, Dr Okonjo-Iweala invoked Nelson Mandela’s words to “make a better world
for all who live in it”, urging ministers to face forward and deliver tangible results.
The four-day conference is expected to set the tone for WTO’s future direction at a time
of profound global uncertainty.
