During the opening ceremony, WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang stated: “This conference will contribute to intensifying the WTO Chairs network in Cameroon, Central Africa and all over Africa, with a view to enhancing trade dialogues among the whole WTO membership.” DDG Zhang highlighted the importance of the regional network of Chairs on the continent, which now consists of 13 prestigious institutions.

The event was also attended by the Secretary General of Cameroon's Ministry of External Relations, Ambassador Chinmoun Oumarou and the Secretary General of the Ministry of State for Higher Education, Professor Wilfred Gabsa.

The WTO Chairs Programme (WCP) aims to support and promote trade-related academic activities by universities and research institutions in developing and least-developed countries. The Chairs network now comprises 36 universities worldwide.

The WTO Chair in Cameroon crafts tailor-made training for government officials, particularly those from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce, and develops applied research in the fields of international economics, law and international relations. IRIC is also involved with the activities of other regional and international organizations and groups, such as the African Group of WTO Members, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, which were also represented at the event.

Ellen Verdure, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the WTO — the WCP's largest donor country — also spoke at the event. “Following the success of the 12th Ministerial Conference, we must pursue the objective of building effective multilateralism, which will enable the WTO to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Cameroon is a very important partner in the WTO and has a real leadership role with African countries,” she said

“We hope that development-related issues will be fully taken into account in the WTO and that this will enable us to move forward, together, towards common and mutually beneficial goals,” she added.

The discussion panels addressed the role of the WTO and international trade in countering the economic crisis, promoting integration and sustainable development in Central Africa, resolving trade policy and natural resource conflicts, and the role of digital trade in ensuring sustainability.

Ambassador Salomon Eheth, Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the WTO and Coordinator of the WTO African Group, stated: “Trade policy and inclusive sustainable development in Central Africa is a subject that comprises several interlinking issues. For developing countries, it is a question of highlighting these exigencies and taking action in the fight against climate change through promoting sustainable development. The work of this conference will contribute to affirming the position of Cameroon, and of Central Africa, at the WTO.”

The WCP Africa Network has been actively engaged in helping countries take advantage of the AfCFTA, which promotes regional integration in trade, investment and public procurement regulations in order to stimulate regional production. Analysing these issues and harnessing the potential opportunities which have been created is a task which calls for increased cooperation and dialogue among countries. An important facet of this process is cross-border exchanges and debates among academics.

The Chairs programme enables teams of trade experts on the ground in developing and least developed countries to conduct outreach among policymakers alongside curriculum development and training activities.