Côte d’Ivoire is participating in the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), taking place March 26–29, 2026, in Yaoundé, led by Kalil Konaté, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Crafts. This international gathering, which brings together 166 ministerial delegations, provides a strategic forum to discuss WTO reform, development, agriculture, e-commerce, investment facilitation, and fisheries subsidies.

On the sidelines of the official opening scheduled for March 26, the Ivorian delegation was received by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. During the meeting, she commended Côte d’Ivoire’s leadership, under the guidance of President Alassane Ouattara, highlighting the country’s economic performance and the strength of its development trajectory.

The Director-General also noted Côte d’Ivoire’s active engagement within the WTO and expressed her confidence in the country’s role in contributing to the success of this ministerial conference.

For his part, Minister Kalil Konaté expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and the fruitful discussions, while commending the Director-General’s expertise and leadership. He reaffirmed Côte d’Ivoire’s support for the success of the proceedings and reiterated the country’s commitment to the structural transformation of its economy.

The head of the Ivorian delegation also outlined the country’s expectations, particularly regarding priority issues such as agriculture—including food security—cotton, development, the link between trade and industrial policies, as well as e-commerce and investment facilitation.

This active participation reflects Côte d’Ivoire’s determination to contribute to reforms of the multilateral trading system and to defend its strategic interests in a changing international context.