African Group convenes in Chavannes-de-Bogis to advance a strong, development-centered agenda for WTO MC14

Chavannes-de-Bogis, 3 December 2025 (ECA) - The African Union (AU) Mission and African Group in Geneva convened a high-level preparatory workshop today in at the World Trade Organization (WTO), ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26 to 29 March 2026.

The workshop brought together African Ambassadors, trade negotiators and senior officials to assess the state of WTO negotiations and to align positions on Africa's key priorities for MC14. Opening remarks were delivered by representatives of the AU Mission in Geneva, the African Group in Geneva, the WTO Secretariat, the AU Commission, and the ECA, underscoring the importance of unity, strategic coordination and evidence-based engagement in shaping outcomes at MC14.

Addressing participants, ECA emphasized the growing challenges facing the multilateral trading system, amid global geopolitical and economic shocks, and reaffirmed Africa's long-standing call for a fair, inclusive and development-oriented global trading order. ECA highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a central pillar of Africa's strategy to deepen regional integration, expand intra-African trade, strengthen industrialization and enhance the continent's collective bargaining power at the WTO.

The African Union Commission stressed that Africa must move from being a rule-taker to a rule-shaper in the global trading system. Key priorities highlighted for MC14 include agriculture-particularly a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security, a Special Safeguard Mechanism for developing countries, and disciplines on trade-distorting domestic support-alongside special and differential treatment, WTO reform, dispute settlement, and development-oriented digital trade rules.

Discussions throughout the day focused on the current state of WTO negotiations as well as on Africa's expectations for concrete outcomes at MC14.

ECA reaffirmed its commitment to continue providing data-driven analysis and technical support to the AU Mission and African Group in Geneva in the lead-up to MC14 and beyond, in close collaboration with the AUC and the AfCFTA Secretariat, to ensure that Africa speaks with one voice and secures outcomes aligned with its long-term development aspirations and Agenda 2063.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]