Advancing interregional dialogue on multilateral trade ahead of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference
Obreal co-organised a high-level international conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 19–20 March 2026, in the lead-up to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held from 26 to 29 March 2026 also in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The event was jointly organised with the WTO Chair at the Institut des Relations Internationales du Cameroun (IRIC), University of Yaoundé II, under the patronage of the Minister of Trade of Cameroon.
The conference gathered prominent representatives from the World Trade Organization, including H.E. Mr Xiangchen Zhang, Deputy Director-General of the WTO, alongside high-level authorities from the Government of Cameroon, members of the Advisory Board of the WTO Chairs Programme, and authorities of the Pan African University. The opening session also featured contributions from senior diplomatic and governmental representatives, reflecting the strong institutional anchoring of the initiative.
A total of 27 out of the 39 WTO Chairs worldwide (representing the full global network) from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East contributed actively to the discussions, highlighting the program’s broad geographical reach and intellectual diversity. Notably, eight African WTO Chairholders, each representing a different country within the WTO Chairs Programme, participated in person in Yaoundé with the support of Obreal, reinforcing regional engagement and ownership. The event also mobilised over 100 Master’s students from IRIC, particularly those from the Master’s in International Commerce and Economic Diplomacy, reflecting a strong commitment to capacity building and the involvement of future trade leaders.
From dialogue to impact: shaping multilateral trade debates
The recommendations emerging from the conference will be presented at WTO MC14, contributing directly to ongoing global discussions on the future of the multilateral trading system.
Beyond its immediate outputs, the conference reaffirmed the critical role of higher education, research, and outreach in sustaining and renewing the principles of multilateralism. At a time of increasing geopolitical complexity, academic networks such as the WTO Chairs Programme, in partnership with organisations like Obreal, are essential in generating evidence-based knowledge, fostering structured dialogue across regions, and training the next generation of policymakers committed to cooperative and rules-based multilateral governance.
The conference is part of a joint initiative between Obreal and the WTO Chairs Programme aimed at strengthening the articulation between academic work and multilateral trade policy processes. All materials and outputs from the event will soon be made available on the dedicated website of this collaboration.
