The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, spoke at the WTO ministerial conference in Yaounde, Cameroon on March 26, 2026. The United States criticized the WTO at the conference, while China defended the organization and called for opposition to unilateralism and protectionism. The WTO members gathered in Cameroon until Sunday to address challenges facing the institution due to geopolitical tensions, negotiation deadlock, and rising protectionism amid global trade threats. The current disruptions in the global trade system were highlighted by the WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who also criticized the unilateralism prevailing in the trade system.
The WTO is facing deep-seated issues due to the consensus-based decision-making leading to significant reform to uphold its central role in international trade regulation. Observers from various countries, including African nations like Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal, emphasized the importance of maintaining special and differential treatment for developing countries.
Diverging views on the reform objectives were evident, with the US representative highlighting the failure of multilateral institutions and negotiations in establishing fair access to markets. Meanwhile, the Chinese Commerce Minister supported the WTO and called for unified opposition against unilateralism and protectionism.
European Union ministers also expressed support for an open, fair, and rules-based multilateral trade system with a modernized WTO. Various countries, including the US, China, and the EU, recognized the need for a framework enabling interested parties to engage in closer economic cooperation, even through plurilateral agreements, while India emphasized the need to incorporate these outcomes within the WTO framework without compromising existing rights.
While no significant agreements were expected in Yaounde, the hope was to outline a roadmap for reform focusing on decision-making procedures, developmental country rules, competition conditions equality, and reviving the dispute settlement mechanism within the WTO to achieve more concrete outcomes at the next ministerial meeting.
