Cameroon's Minister of Trade, Mr. Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, presided over the opening ceremony of the 3^rd International Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Chairs Programme at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) in Yaoundé.

Launched on 28 November 2024 under the theme “International Trade Challenges in Africa and WTO Reform: the Way Forward”, the conference was attended by UNECA Sub-Regional Director for Central Africa, Jean-Luc Mastaki, and a host of invited guests. The Cameroon National Shippers' Council (CNSC) was represented by Mrs. Eugenie Michelle Assomo Zeh and Mr. Rodrigue Yabeun Kamayo, respectively Deputy Service Head for Operations and Shippers' Assistance at the CNSC Centre Regional Branch.

This conference was held in a challenging context for the African continent which has seen its share of international trade dwindle from 5% in the 1970s to 2-3% in recent years. These figures, according to the Minister of Trade, call for a complete restructuring of Africa's trade policies. As a reminder, Cameroon will host the 14^th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé in March 2026.