The Director-General said:

“Contributing to the development of Senegal and other least-developed countries (LDCs) is a top priority for the WTO. The results achieved at our 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi just two months ago show that this commitment is present across the WTO membership. The decisions taken there will help to improve opportunities for LDCs to export goods and services to both developed and developing countries.

“Improving trade-related infrastructure and lowering trade costs can also have a big impact — and some good work is being done in Senegal. An important step will be to ratify the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement, which will help to speed up the flow of goods, reduce costs and increase access to markets, both regionally and globally.

“A discussion is currently under way on the future work of the WTO, and I strongly encourage Senegal to engage fully in this debate. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the agenda and make sure that the multilateral trading system keeps on delivering for the country.

“I look forward to continuing to work with President Macky Sall and his government in all of these areas, to ensure that trade, and the WTO, can help the country achieve its development goals.”

During his visit to Senegal, the Director-General also held meetings with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, students at the Groupe École Supérieure de Commerce de Dakar, as well as the singer, musician and former minister Youssou Ndour. In addition, the Director-General spoke at the Cheick Anta Diop University about Senegal's participation in the global trading system, the results of the WTO's recent Nairobi Ministerial Conference, and the future work of the organization. The Director-General's full speech is available here.