14th World Trade Organisation ministerial confab: Visiting Director General signs agreement for Cameroon’s hosting.

The strategic document, known as Host Country Agreement, was signed in Yaounde on Monday May 26. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Cameroon government by the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. 

This was during an interministerial committee meeting at the Star Building, chaired by the Prime Minister Head of Government, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute. It was attended by several members of government.

The framework agreement binding both parties, defines the responsibilities of each party towards delivering a successful hosting of the WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled for March 26 to 29, 2026.

The WTO Director General described discussions during the meeting as “productive” as the government is finalising the preparatory phase. 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, during the meeting, raised Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on behalf of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, to the rank of Commander of the Order of Valour. 

Cameroon will become the second African country to host the WTO Ministerial Conference after Kenya hosted the 10th edition of WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, in December 2015.

Prior to the Star Build meeting, the WTO Director General, who is on a working visit to Cameroon, was received in separate audiences including the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana and the Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in Charge of the Commonwealth, Felix Mbayu. 

Discussions during the meetings centred on the level of preparedness of the country towards a successful hosting of the WTO Ministerial Conference.

Speaking at the end of her audience with the trade minister earlier on Monday, the WTO Director General hinted on the significant progress made by Cameroon towards hosting the all important gathering next year. 

“We're here to see what stage preparations have reached. We've had a good chat with the Minister and his staff. We think the work is progressing quite well,” she told the press. 

“We're going to continue working with the Prime Minister to go into much more details, because there are a lot of things to look at, notably logistics and accommodation,” she added. 

She also reassured the press of the country’s commitment to making the conference a success. 

In addition, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude to the Cameroonian government for supporting her candidacy to the helm of the WTO for the first and second time, as well as for accepting to host the ministerial conference. 

As part of her visit, she later that day inspected the Yaounde Conference Centre, which will host the ministerial confab and other facilities to receive the international delegates. 

As part of her dynamic economic advocacy, the WTO DG was expected to have met with representatives of the private sector and the Cameroon Businesswomen's Network in view of encouraging their greater integration into world trade.

The WTO boss’ two-day official visit to Yaounde ended yesterday Tuesday May 27. The Ministerial Conference is expected to be a key moment of reform for the WTO as the organisation plans to embark on a “complete and profound” modernisation in order to remain relevant in a changing world, marked by trade tensions, unequal integration and imbalances in the distribution of global trade gains. 

The Ministerial Conference, which will bring together ministers, experts and delegations from over 160 countries, is seen as a major opportunity to boost Cameroon's attractiveness to investors and accelerate the integration of local operators into global value chains.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3458 of Wednesday May 28, 2025