The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has announced that its next ministerial conference will take place in Cameroon from March 26 to 29, 2026. This decision was confirmed on Monday in a statement issued by the organisation.
The biennial event brings together trade ministers from 166 member nations to negotiate and update global trade rules. Cameroon’s ambassador to the WTO, Salomon Eheth, expressed hope that the conference would showcase Cameroon and Africa’s potential for investment and sustainable development.
“This is an opportunity for Cameroon to demonstrate its promise as a destination for global investment and its contributions to sustainable growth,” Eheth stated during a WTO meeting in Geneva.
However, analysts predict challenging times for the WTO. With U.S. President-elect Donald Trump set to return to office in January, trade relations are expected to face heightened tensions. The WTO has also struggled to secure significant agreements in recent months, with the previous ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi yielding minimal outcomes.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, re-appointed for a second term in November, emphasized the need for a fresh strategy to overcome the current stalemate in negotiations.
“We must focus on delivering outcomes wherever and whenever possible,” she remarked during a meeting in Geneva. “Negotiating in the 2020s demands a dynamic approach, addressing each issue independently to foster progress across the board.”
The upcoming conference in Cameroon is seen as a pivotal moment for the WTO to address ongoing challenges and reinvigorate global trade discussions.
