Trading interests

Held under the guidance of Cameroon's Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26 to 30 March. The event brought together more than 2,000 delegates from 166 WTO members to review the multilateral trading system and explore reforms to better address current global trade challenges. 

African countries voiced several concerns, particularly over agricultural subsidies, urging developed nations to reduce aid that distorts competition and undermines local producers. They also called for fairer access to international markets for key exports such as cocoa, coffee and cotton. 

The conference also addressed the moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, with some developing countries advocating for its removal. "Cameroon's commitment is to position trade as a lever for poverty reduction and to promote a fairer global trading system," said Ngute. 

Reversing the trend 

As part of his academic work, Louis-Marie Kakdeu, a renowned Cameroonian economist, analysed the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference while it was taking place in Yaoundé. Speaking to ChinAfrica, he said, "Cameroon, and Africa in general, must stop being a trading post as it was during the days of the slave trade. Africa can influence WTO reform by adopting a collective and coordinated approach." 

Kakdeu outlined strategies to reverse this trend, emphasising the need to strengthen regional cooperation. "Africa must speak with one voice in international negotiations, leveraging its collective strength. The African Continental Free Trade Area is a prime example of such collaboration. Africa must also defend its interests by clearly defining its priorities, including access to international markets, reducing agricultural subsidies and promoting local industrialisation," he added. 

He also highlighted notable progress, pointing to initiatives like the Maputo Declaration, which aims to enhance African countries' capacity to influence multilateral negotiations. According to Kakdeu, these countries must further strengthen their institutional capacities to negotiate and implement effective trade agreements. The conference offered Africa a crucial opportunity to make its voice heard and advance its trade interests. 

Differences and disagreements 

The conference concluded without agreement on several major issues. Member states failed to reach consensus on key topics, including organisational reform, agriculture and e-commerce, despite several days of discussions. Persistent differences between developed and developing economies prevented the adoption of a common roadmap, underscoring tensions within the WTO. This lack of compromise highlights the challenges facing the organisation amid rapid changes in global trade. 

In her address at the opening session, Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the WTO, acknowledged that the meeting was taking place during a challenging period for global trade and the multilateral trading system.  

"We cannot deny the scale of the problems facing the world today. It is no secret that the global trading system is experiencing its worst disruption in 80 years. The world order and the multilateral system as we knew them have changed irreversibly," she said. 

Regarding the reasons behind the participants' disagreements, Kakdeu said, "The US sought a permanent extension of the moratorium on e-commerce, while India and some other developing countries were calling for a limited extension to protect their revenues. On the agricultural front, countries in the Global South emphasised the need to review the rules to improve access to international markets and reduce agricultural subsidies in rich countries." 

Kakdeu also noted that participants were divided over how to reform the organisation, particularly on dispute settlement and decision-making. "These disagreements reflect global trade tensions and the diverging interests between developed and developing countries. The conference did, however, help to clarify the dividing lines and lay the foundations for future negotiations," he explained.  

He reiterated ways to ease tensions, emphasising dialogue. "Countries must be prepared to negotiate and find compromises on sensitive issues. We need to understand the needs and concerns of each party to find win-win solutions," he added. 

The meeting adopted a ministerial communiqué, committing members to continue work on institutional reform. Sectoral commitments were made, notably in fisheries and agriculture. However, the moratorium on e-commerce expired without being extended due to the lack of agreement.