PARIS – Hon. Baboucarr O. Joof, Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, held discussions with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization on the sidelines of the OECD Trade Ministers’ meeting in Paris today.
The high-level talks focused on critical global trade issues, including the future of international commerce, necessary WTO reforms, and how geopolitical tensions are impacting the multilateral trading system.
The meeting comes as WTO Trade Ministers convene in Paris to address comprehensive organizational reforms aimed at building resilience and promoting inclusion. This reform initiative recognizes that when the WTO was established three decades ago, women, youth, and persons with disabilities were not central to the development agenda.
Minister Joof joins fellow African trade ministers representing Least Developed Countries and Net Food Importing Countries in this important dialogue. Their participation is particularly significant as they help prepare the discussion agenda for the upcoming 14th WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled to take place in Cameroon later this year.
The Paris meetings underscore the growing recognition that global trade policies must evolve to address contemporary challenges while ensuring that historically marginalized groups have a voice in shaping the future of international commerce.
