The World Trade Organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) concluded on 30 March 2026, with ministers adopting several decisions and committing to continue work in Geneva on key unresolved matters. The four-day meeting, held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, brought together nearly 2,000 trade officials, including over 90 ministers, marking the second time a Ministerial Conference has taken place in Africa.

Ministerial reflections and acknowledgements

Cameroon’s Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who chaired MC14, praised the ministers for their dedication and constructive participation during long sessions. 

He acknowledged the determination shown to make MC14 a landmark event. However, he admitted that time constraints prevented the resolution of several outstanding issues.

WTO’s work programme on electronic commerce, the continuation of moratoriums on customs duties for electronic transmissions, and non-violation complaints under the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) were among the unresolved topics.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed progress made on advancing WTO reform discussions, fisheries subsidies disciplines, and other areas. She said, “We decided to work differently.  I think we have a new WTO way of working to modernise the way we do business, so we can be more nimble, more responsive as we move forward.”

Okonjo-Iweala encouraged members to use the draft texts developed during MC14 as a foundation to finalise agreements on outstanding issues at the next General Council meeting in Geneva.

What are the key outcomes and continuing negotiations

Ministers agreed to persist in negotiations on fisheries subsidies, aiming to present comprehensive recommendations at the 15th Ministerial Conference, in line with Article 12 of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

Two MC14 decisions previously endorsed in Geneva were formally adopted. One focused on improving the execution of special and differential treatment provisions within the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).

The Yaoundé package

Director-General Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the proximity to finalising a “Yaoundé package” of agreements important for the WTO’s future. This package includes:

I) The draft Yaoundé Ministerial Declaration on WTO Reform and Work Plan

II) The draft Ministerial Decision on Electronic Commerce

III) The draft Ministerial Decision on the Moratorium on TRIPS Non-Violation and Situation Complaints

IV) The Least Developed Country (LDC) package

She stressed the importance of preserving these texts and using them as a basis for concluding agreements in Geneva, noting that existing moratoriums on customs duties for electronic transmissions and TRIPS complaints are set to expire at the end of March.

Concerns remain about the overall adoption 

John W.H. Denton AO, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), expressed concern about the lack of a concrete political agreement, particularly amid global economic strains. 

“Business came to this ministerial looking for decisions that would rebuild confidence in the trading system and provide a clearer basis for planning and investment. Instead, the outcome risks generating yet more policy uncertainty at exactly the wrong moment from a real-economy perspective.”

He stated the need to restore the WTO’s e-commerce moratorium promptly to avoid further uncertainty.

Denton said, “The decision by 66 countries to operationalise the plurilateral e-commerce agreement is a positive sign that common-sense trade cooperation remains possible. This should be seen as a potential template for the more flexible approaches that will be needed to move the system out of its current paralysis.”

He concluded saying that, “The ultimate question coming out of this conference is not whether reform of the WTO system is necessary, but which governments are prepared to step forward and build the coalition needed to advance it.”