On Wednesday October 22, 2025, Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to strengthening South–South trade and cooperation during the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP) Ministerial Meeting, held on the margins of UNCTAD XVI in Geneva.
Addressing Ministers and senior officials from across the developing world, the Minister welcomed the renewed momentum to revive and modernize the GSTP, originally established in 1988 under the auspices of UNCTAD to promote trade preferences among developing nations.
She underscored Ghana’s view that the GSTP remains a vital instrument for expanding intra-developing-country trade, investment, and technology exchange, particularly at a time when global trade faces growing uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions, debt pressures, and climate challenges.
“Ghana sees the GSTP as a platform to translate our collective market potential into concrete partnerships for value addition, innovation, and sustainable development,” she said.
The Minister expressed Ghana’s support for a careful and inclusive review of the São Paulo Round outcomes to ensure that future actions reflect today’s global realities and the evolving priorities of developing economies. She emphasized that the Ministerial dialogue offers an opportunity to consult, assess progress, and chart a pragmatic course toward a revitalized and development-oriented GSTP.
Highlighting the president’s vision for industrialization in Ghana under the 24-hour economy plus Industrial and Agribusiness Transformation Programme, she emphasized that the aim of the government is to enhance productivity, trade competitiveness, and inclusive job creation. Ghana’s leadership within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides a strategic link between regional and inter-regional markets, and that stronger South–South trade partnerships could accelerate industrialization and export diversification across Africa and beyond.
The Minister further encouraged members to integrate digital trade, green industrialization, and MSME participation into the next phase of the GSTP, calling for targeted technical cooperation from UNCTAD to help developing countries leverage preferential trade opportunities.
Ghana’s participation in the GSTP Ministerial forms part of its broader engagement at UNCTAD XVI, where the country is advocating for fairer trade, deeper regional integration, and technology-driven economic transformation for shared prosperity.
