GENEVA, Switzerland – At the 12 December meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), director-general Ngozi Okonjdo-Iweala and the chairs of negotiating bodies under the TNC reported on prospects for ministerial decisions at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled for 26-29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon. DG Okonjo-Iweala, who chairs the TNC, underscored the importance of delivering a manageable and meaningful agenda for MC14.
“The purpose of today’s TNC is to chart a path to identify a common understanding of which negotiating issues are ready for ministerial action, which are not, and what should be done in each case,” DG Okonjo-Iweala said. She recalled members’ intention to lay the foundation for decision-making by next week’s General Council meeting in Geneva in order to provide ministers with clarity ahead of MC14.
“We are living through difficult but also exciting times. MC14 may well be the most consequential ministerial conference in the history of this organisation,” DG Okonjo-Iweala said. “The outcome will depend on the choices we make and how we advance our preparations,” she said.
She invited the chairs of six negotiating bodies established by the TNC to assess readiness for ministerial action and what the next steps could be, clarifying that other topics not covered by the TNC would be taken up by the General Council. She then provided a report, as TNC chair, which included proposed recommendations for each negotiating area, noting nevertheless that the responsibility over the agenda remains to be “collective.”
In closing the meeting, the director-general, as chair of the TNC, noted a high level of engagement by members, with a record number of interventions reflecting strong interest in shaping a focused and effective path towards MC14. She said members provided clear and constructive guidance on how to approach both the General Council and the Ministerial Conference.
Members broadly reaffirmed the importance of the “Geneva-first” principle and emphasised the need for realism in preparing the MC14 agenda, including avoiding an overly expansive set of issues that could limit ministers’ ability to deliver concrete outcomes. At the same time, members called for balance, transparency and inclusivity, and stressed that decisions taken should not preclude further work after MC14, where additional progress may be possible.
DG Okonjo-Iweala noted a shared understanding among members in several negotiating areas, while in other areas no technical negotiations are expected to be put before ministers at MC14.
In fisheries subsidies, members recognized that additional disciplines are unlikely to be concluded by MC14, while expressing support for a possible ministerial reaffirmation of continued work beyond the Conference.
On agriculture, DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted strong and widespread interest across the membership. While acknowledging that no single text is currently ready for ministerial negotiation, she noted that recent submissions provide a basis for further focused work in Geneva, with the aim of exploring whether a consolidated outcome or other form of ministerial engagement could be developed.
Regarding the G-90 proposals on trade and development, the chair noted broad support for advancing a process-based approach through the general council, building on work undertaken since MC13.
The director-general concluded that the discussions had helped narrow differences and clarify what could realistically be advanced to ministers. She said she would reflect members’ guidance in her report to the General Council, with the objective of securing endorsement of a clear, manageable and productive agenda for MC14.
