Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference
26 - 29 March 2026 Yaoundé, (Cameroon)
The WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) took place from 26 to 30 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Ministers from across the world attended the Conference to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the multilateral trading system and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The Conference was chaired by Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, Cameroon's Minister of Trade.
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The opening session of the Conference began on 26 March with welcome remarks by the MC14 Chair, the WTO Director-General, the host and invited guests, including senior government officials. This was followed by a ministerial breakout session covering WTO foundational issues.
On 27 March, the breakout sessions focused on WTO reform, with each session facilitated by a minister. A plenary session on WTO reform was held at the end of the day.
The third day began with an update on dispute settlement reform. This was followed by ministerial sessions on fisheries subsidies, incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, the E-commerce Work Programme and moratorium, agriculture, and development including least developed country issues.
The Conference ended on 30 March with a Heads of Delegation meeting followed by the closing session with statements by the Director-General and the MC14 Chair.
These briefing notes are intended to provide background information on issues relevant to the Ministerial Conference. While every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate, they are not legal interpretations of the WTO agreements, nor do they prejudice member governments’ positions.
Practical information for journalists attending the Conference is provided on the link below.
Practical information for accredited NGOs attending the 14th Ministerial Conference is available here.
The rules of procedure for ministerial conferences require each WTO member to be "represented by an accredited representative" and to submit "credentials" of representatives to the WTO Secretariat "at least one week before the opening session" of the Ministerial Conference.