Source: Africa Publicity
Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, will lead a high-powered delegation to the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization, scheduled to take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from March 26 to 29, 2026.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, the government said the gathering—only the second WTO ministerial conference to be hosted on African soil—comes at a critical time for the global economy.
“The conference, the second WTO Ministerial Conference hosted on the African continent, provides a vital platform for member states to strengthen a fair, rules-based, and development-oriented multilateral trading system amid rising global trade tensions and economic uncertainties,” the statement said.
Ghana’s participation will focus on advancing key national priorities centered on development, food security, industrialisation, and inclusive growth. According to the Ministry, the country will push for “securing a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security to stabilise domestic food prices and support smallholder farmers; eliminating trade-distorting agricultural subsidies that undermine the competitiveness of Ghana’s agribusiness and export sectors; advancing WTO reform that preserves policy space for industrialisation, agriculture modernisation, and economic diversification, while fully maintaining special and differential treatment (S&DT) for developing countries; ensuring fisheries subsidies negotiations respond to the realities of coastal and fishing communities; promoting enhanced integration into global value chains through agribusiness development, digital trade facilitation, and sustainable industrial growth.”
The statement noted that these priorities align with the broader African Group position and reflect Ghana’s commitment to ensuring the multilateral trading system delivers tangible benefits for developing economies.
“Active engagement at MC14 is essential for protecting and advancing Ghana’s national interests in a rapidly fragmenting global trade landscape,” the Ministry said, highlighting the country’s need for strengthened global trade rules to curb unfair competition and expand market access.
The statement added: “MC14 in Yaoundé is a historic opportunity for Africa to shape the future of global trade. This government’s vision of a 24-Hour Economy is anchored on producing, processing, exporting, and consuming what we make, while strengthening Ghana’s global trade influence.
“We are committed to expanding the services industry, bridging the digital divide, providing robust support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and securing improved market access for both goods and services. Ghana is attending not merely to negotiate, but to ensure that the outcomes deliver real, transformative gains for our farmers, industries, MSMEs, youth, and entire population.”
The Ghanaian delegation will include senior officials from the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, the Ghana Permanent Mission in Geneva, the Ministry of Finance, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, the Ghana Standards Authority, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, and Trademark Africa.
On the sidelines of the conference, Ofosu-Adjare is expected to hold bilateral talks with counterparts from several countries, including the Bahamas, Benin, Burkina Faso, China, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Mali, and Turkey, aimed at deepening trade and investment cooperation.
She will also participate in meetings of ECOWAS and ACP trade ministers to harmonise regional positions on key negotiation issues.
The MC14 conference will bring together trade ministers from 166 WTO member states to negotiate outcomes on agriculture, fisheries subsidies, e-commerce, WTO reform, and development, as Ghana reiterates its support for the multilateral trading system as a cornerstone for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
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