Côte d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara has called on developing economies to move beyond exporting raw materials and expand into industrial production, innovation and marketing, arguing that changes in global trade offer an opportunity to strengthen their position in the world economy.
“Re-globalization presents an opportunity for developing countries to move beyond their traditional areas of specialization in exporting primary products and to occupy a more prominent place in the spheres of innovation, transformation, industrial production and marketing.”
Ouattara made the remarks while delivering the latest edition of the World Trade Organization’s Presidential Lecture Series, where he outlined the policy changes and investments needed to help developing countries capture more value from international trade.
He said re-globalization, which seeks to make global economic integration broader, more resilient and inclusive, would require improvements in infrastructure, skills development, access to financing and technology transfer.
The Ivorian president also called for coherent public policies, stronger international cooperation and trade rules that enable vulnerable economies to benefit more effectively from global markets.
The objective, he said, is to help countries such as Côte d’Ivoire move from dependence on raw-material exports towards value creation, competitiveness and productive transformation.
Ouattara pointed to Côte d’Ivoire’s economic performance as an example of the potential for such a transition. The country recorded average economic growth of 7% between 2012 and 2025, despite disruptions including the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
That period also saw an expansion in trade, gradual diversification of export markets and stronger domestic production capacity. Ouattara attributed the progress to improvements in the business climate, governance, macroeconomic management and debt sustainability.
He said regional integration would be important in extending those gains, particularly by giving businesses access to larger markets where they can achieve economies of scale, recover investments and improve competitiveness.
The African Continental Free Trade Area provides an opportunity to expand market access for Ivorian companies, facilitate trade and develop regional value chains, he said.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her welcoming remarks, said the global trading system was facing a difficult period, with African economies confronting uncertainty and fragmentation in their access to external markets.
She said the challenges had not eliminated opportunities for African countries to use trade to support economic growth, development and job creation. Several African economies, including Côte d’Ivoire, have recorded some of the world’s highest growth rates in recent years, she added.
But taking advantage of those opportunities would require leadership and policy changes within African countries, alongside reforms in other parts of the world, including at the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala said.
