A delegation from the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat, led by Ambassador Santiago Wills, Director of Trade Councils and Negotiations at the WTO and Chairman of the WTO Task Force for MC14, visited Yaoundé to assess preparations for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). This mission underscores the importance the WTO places on the organization of this event.
Arriving on Monday, February 23, at Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport, the WTO experts inspected the Cameroonian capital as part of the seventh supervisory mission for the preparations for MC14, scheduled for March 26-29, 2026.
On Tuesday, February 24, the delegation visited the Palais des Congrès, the main venue for MC14, for a working meeting with the Sub-Committee in charge of IT and technological issues. Representatives from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MINPOSTEL), the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC), Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL) and Bass Technologies participated in this session, where digital infrastructure, connectivity and technological equipment were examined.
The day of Wednesday, February 25, was devoted to accommodation and transport issues, with meetings with the Minister of Tourism and Leisure and the Minister of Transport, as well as a visit to the Hilton Hotel and the Mont Fébé Hotel, followed by an inspection of Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport.
The mission ended with a meeting with the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. During this meeting, the delegation from the WTO Secretariat expressed its satisfaction with the progress of the preparations, while stressing that there was still work to be done.
The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference will be held from March 26 to 29, 2026 at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé. This biennial event brings together WTO members, made up of countries or customs unions, to make decisions on various issues covered by multilateral trade agreements. Discussions ahead of MC14 have focused on institutional reform of the organization.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Cameroon will be the first Central African country to host a WTO Ministerial Conference.
