Analytical Note, 26 January 2026

MC14 in Yaoundé: Process and Modalities

An Analytical Note on the DG’s Revised Road to Yaoundé MC14 Working Draft (JOB/TNC/127/Rev.2/Add.1), 26 January 2026

By Vahini Naidu, Trade for Development Programme, South Centre

This paper provides an analytical assessment of the revised “Road to Yaoundé” for the Fourteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14). It examines the design of the proposed Ministerial programme and process, with a focus on their implications for inclusivity, balance, collective ministerial engagement, and the legitimacy of outcomes. The analysis considers how structural and procedural choices may shape ministerial deliberation and political signalling at MC14, particularly in light of the long-overdue fulfilment of development mandates and growing systemic challenges facing the multilateral trading system.

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MC14 in Yaoundé: Process and Modalities