The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently announced that the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) will be held in Cameroon from March 26 – 29, 2026. This conference, which takes place every two years, is a crucial gathering of trade ministers and senior officials from the WTO’s 166 member countries. Cameroon will be only the second African country to host the WTO MC, following Nairobi, Kenya, which hosted MC10 in 2015.
Cameroon’s Ambassador, Salomon Eheth, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host MC14 and highlighted his country’s commitment to contributing to the development of the multilateral trading system. He also emphasized Cameroon’s desire to showcase the investment potential and sustainable development opportunities in both Cameroon and Africa as a whole.
The previous Ministerial Conference, MC13, saw significant progress with the admission of two least developed countries, Comoros and Timor-Leste, bringing the total number of WTO member countries to 166. Additionally, a joint initiative by 72 member countries was launched to enhance transparency and fairness in regulating traded services, potentially reducing global trade costs by $125 billion.
As preparations for MC14 in Cameroon begin, there are several unresolved issues within the WTO that need to be addressed. Experts have pointed out that critical issues such as nondiscrimination and fair trade practices have not been adequately tackled in previous Ministerial Conferences. Despite some positive developments, concerns remain about discriminatory tariffs imposed by the United States and the lack of progress on key issues like agriculture and harmful fisheries subsidies.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) also expressed disappointment with the lack of consensus on critical topics and highlighted areas of disagreement such as industrial policy and trade and environment considerations. These challenges underscore the complexity of achieving international cooperation on economic and environmental issues.
It is anticipated that the upcoming WTO MC14 in Cameroon will provide an opportunity to address these unresolved disputes and pave the way for meaningful progress in global trade negotiations. The conference will be a crucial platform for member countries to come together and work towards finding solutions to these pressing issues.
