GENEVA, Mar 20 – Global trade ministers are set to meet in Yaounde next week amid growing concern that a prolonged deadlock at the World Trade Organization (WTO) could force countries to pursue alternative frameworks to advance free trade.
The four-day meeting comes at a critical point for the Geneva-based body, which has faced mounting pressure over stalled negotiations and a dispute settlement system that has remained inactive for more than six years. While most member states agree on the need for reform, divisions over how to proceed have made it difficult to establish a clear roadmap.
Trade tensions have also intensified in recent months, driven in part by renewed tariff measures from the United States. At the same time, geopolitical risks, including the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran, have disrupted energy markets and added further uncertainty to the global economic outlook.
Officials say failure to reach consensus in Yaounde could accelerate a shift toward smaller, issue-based agreements among willing countries. The European Union has already signaled it may deepen cooperation with members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a bloc that includes economies such as Japan, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Such arrangements, often described as plurilateral agreements, would allow participating countries to move ahead on areas like digital trade and critical raw materials without requiring full WTO consensus. However, some members remain concerned that this approach could weaken the multilateral system.
Meanwhile, efforts to advance an investment facilitation initiative aimed at supporting developing economies have repeatedly stalled despite broad backing, underscoring the challenges facing the organization.
With no clear breakthrough in sight, diplomats say the outcome of the Yaounde talks could shape the future direction of global trade governance.
