Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry of the Republic of Ghana, met with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to discuss Ghana’s trade priorities, WTO reforms, and ongoing collaboration in advancing inclusive and sustainable trade.
The bilateral engagement took place on the sidelines of the 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XVI) in Geneva.
During the meeting, the Minister congratulated Dr. Okonjo-Iweala on her reappointment for a second term as WTO Director-General, commending her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to strengthening the multilateral trading system.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala expressed appreciation for her productive engagement with His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama at the United Nations General Assembly, describing the President’s contribution as “an important and refreshing perspective on trade and sustainable development.”
She reaffirmed Ghana’s importance to the WTO, noting that “Ghana is too precious to the WTO to owe”, underscoring the country’s credibility and constructive participation in multilateral trade.
The Director-General commended Ghana for consistently nominating high-quality candidates for WTO capacity-building and training programmes, observing that Ghanaian participants have demonstrated excellence and professionalism in every cohort.
She emphasized that the WTO Secretariat values this strong track record and would continue to support Ghana’s institutional development. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala further pledged to use her good offices to support Ghana’s accession to the C4+ Cotton Club, to help advance the country’s textile and garments industrial agenda, and encouraged Ghana to continue improving its notifications and transparency submissions with technical assistance from the Secretariat.
The Director-General urged Ghana to join the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, stressing that Africa’s current export profile, where over 60% of exports remain primary commodities, can be transformed through stronger investment facilitation and value-chain integration.
She noted that joining the IFD would position Ghana to attract sustainable investment, support MSMEs, and drive structural transformation under the AfCFTA and WTO frameworks.
Both parties discussed ongoing WTO reforms, which will be central to the agenda at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14). Dr. Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that reform discussions now focus on subsidies, protectionism, and development-related issues, and encouraged Ghana to continue playing an active role in shaping outcomes that serve the interests of developing countries.
On bilateral trade matters, the Honourable Minister briefed the Director-General on Ghana’s engagement with the United States, particularly regarding the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and tariff concerns. She recalled that Ghana had initially hoped for tariff relief but was later faced with a 15% tariff rate, up from an initial 10%. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala noted that her recent advocacy with US officials has focused on encouraging greater US investment in Africa and fairer trade practices, rather than punitive measures.
The Honourable Minister highlighted Ghana’s regional leadership efforts, including plans to convene African Trade Ministers to discuss harmonisation of border procedures and the removal of bottlenecks affecting the smooth implementation of the AfCFTA.
She explained that this initiative, beginning with West African countries, aims to promote seamless trade integration, improve connectivity, and accelerate economic transformation across the continent. “This initiative is not about politics; it is about trade. It is about making integration work in practical terms for our people and our businesses,” the Minister stated.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their shared commitment to a rules-based, open, and equitable multilateral trading system that enables developing countries to industrialize, integrate, and benefit from global trade.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala commended Ghana’s proactive engagement and reiterated the WTO’s readiness to provide technical assistance, training, and analytical support to advance Ghana’s trade and industrial transformation agenda.
