Qatar has reaffirmed its support for strengthening the global multilateral trading system during a coordination meeting of Arab trade ministers held ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), scheduled to take place in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Qatar was represented at the virtual meeting by Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs. The meeting brought together Arab trade ministers to coordinate positions and strengthen collaboration ahead of the global trade gathering.
Al Sayed said that the discussions come at a time of heightened global economic uncertainty and an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, highlighting the importance of enhanced coordination among Arab countries to safeguard their shared economic interests and strengthen their collective engagement in global trade.
Dr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs
“Qatar remains firmly committed to supporting a rules-based, transparent, and fair multilateral trading system anchored in the World Trade Organization. Our position aligns with the draft Arab ministerial statement supporting efforts to reform the WTO and restore an effective dispute settlement mechanism, which is essential to ensuring stability and predictability in global trade.”
Al Sayed also stressed the importance of maintaining uninterrupted access to food and agricultural inputs, warning against unjustified export restrictions that could disrupt supply chains and undermine food security. He emphasized the need to safeguard the rights of developing countries, particularly net food-importing developing nations, to adopt necessary measures to ensure food security.
During the meeting, Al Sayed welcomed the entry into force of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, expressing Qatar’s support for completing the second phase of negotiations related to the agreement.
The minister reassured the country’s backing for extending the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions until the 15th WTO Ministerial Conference, as well as integrating the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement and the E-commerce Agreement into the WTO’s legal framework.
On Arab priorities, Al Sayed reiterated Qatar’s support for adopting Arabic as one of the official working languages of the WTO, facilitating the accession of Arab countries to the organization, and granting observer status to both the League of Arab States and the State of Palestine based on technical merit and without politicization.
Concluding his remarks, Al Sayed expressed Qatar’s full support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 15th WTO Ministerial Conference in Riyadh in 2028, noting that the event would represent an important milestone in strengthening the organization and advancing global trade.
The meeting also reviewed several key issues related to preparations for the upcoming WTO ministerial conference, including WTO reform, strengthening the dispute settlement system, food security and agriculture, e-commerce, and the fisheries subsidies agreement.
