The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in partnership with the Ghana Permanent Mission in Geneva, launched a two-day virtual stakeholder workshop as part of preparations for the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled for March in Yaunde, Cameroun.
The workshop has brought together more than 55 participants from government, the private sector, academia, and trade policy institutions, with the objective of “strengthening coordination” and aligning national positions ahead of the ministerial meeting. Discussions are set to continue on Wednesday, focusing on strategic trade priorities for Ghana and the continent.
Opening the workshop, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Sampson Ahi welcomed participants and highlighted the significance of MC14 in advancing a “fair, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system.” He outlined Ghana’s key priorities, including food security through a permanent solution on public stockholding programmes, addressing distortions in agricultural trade, and advancing a “development-centred WTO reform agenda.” He also stressed the need to preserve policy space for industrialisation, agriculture, and economic diversification, while ensuring ongoing fisheries subsidies negotiations remain development-responsive.
On e-commerce, he called for negotiations that reflect development realities without locking in digital divides, and advocated for stronger and operational Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) provisions for developing and least-developed countries. He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to safeguarding inclusivity within the multilateral trading system, particularly for Africa and other developing regions.
Ghana’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, Emmanuel Asiedu, noted the challenging context of current multilateral trade discussions, pointing to prolonged stalemates, slow progress, and persistent imbalances as sources of frustration among stakeholders. Despite these difficulties, he emphasised the importance of “continued engagement and unity,” highlighting the need for a coordinated African voice in negotiations.
A technical briefing by Edwini Kessie, Director of the WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division, provided participants with an in-depth overview of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and the cotton issue, underlining their “critical importance for African development.” He noted that agriculture, while representing less than 10 per cent of global trade in many contexts, is central to livelihoods, rural economies, food security, and poverty reduction in Africa. Kessie highlighted the three pillars of the agreement – domestic support, market access, and export competition, as key instruments for addressing trade distortions and promoting equitable outcomes.
Participants engaged in discussions on ways Ghana and African countries can coordinate positions and advocate for outcomes at MC14 that reflect development realities and foster inclusive growth. The Ministry of Trade indicated that the conclusions of the consultations will inform Ghana’s final negotiating positions and engagement strategy ahead of the ministerial conference.
