World Trade Organization (WTO) to hold 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon from March 26 to 29, 2026

Key facts

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) will convene its 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) from March 26 to 29, 2026, in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
• The Ministerial Conference (MC) is the highest decision-making body of the WTO and generally meets once every two years to decide on WTO law.
• A total of 166 WTO member countries are expected to participate in the conference to deliberate on global trade rules.
• Key agenda items include the potential incorporation of plurilateral agreements, such as the Investment Facilitation for Development and the Agreement on Electronic Commerce, into the WTO rulebook.
• The conference will address the e-commerce moratorium, an agreement not to impose tariffs on electronic transmissions, which is scheduled to expire on March 31.
• Members will discuss Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) for developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to provide special rights based on economic standing.
• The United States (U.S.) has proposed prohibiting larger economies, including India, China, Brazil, and Indonesia, from accessing SDT special rights.
• The conference aims to address the paralysis of the WTO dispute settlement system caused by the lack of appointments to the Appellate Body.
• Since its establishment in 1995, the WTO has successfully created only two new major agreements: the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.