WT/MIN(22)/10  
 
12 June 2022  
(22-4568) Page: 1/5 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 202 2 Original: English  
 
 
AFRICAN MINISTERS OF TRADE DECLARATION ON WTO ISSUES  
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND  
11 June 2022 
The following communication, dated 11 June 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Cameroon on behalf of the African Group.  
 
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We, the African Ministers of Trade (AMOT), meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 June 2022,  to 
prepare for the 12th Ministerial Conference to be held in Geneva from 12 June to 15 June 2022;  
 
Re-emphasized  our profound concerns regarding the loss of lives and the devastating effects that 
the COVID -19 pandemic continues to have on human health, ec onomic growth and on the national 
development plans of African economies;  
 
Acknowledged  with concern that vaccination of the African population remains far below WHO 
recommendations and that vaccine inequity continues to claim lives and constrain economic 
recovery;  
 
Recalled  the decision of the 34th Summit of the African Union calling for a temporary WTO waiver 
of certain intellectual property rights to enable the manufacture and equitable distribution of 
COVID -19 vaccines in Africa;  
 
Noted with concern that the call of our leaders for an early TRIPS  Waiver to boost and diversify 
production of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics has not been realized more than eighteen 
months since the proposal was tabled, and strongly reiterate the need for a meaningful waiver;  
 
Recalled the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly declaring 2022 "the Year of 
Nutrition " with the theme "Building Resilience in Nutrition across the African Continent in 2022 " with 
the view to provide an opportunity to secure greater continental commitment an d investment to end 
malnutrition in all forms;  
 
Concerned  about the recurrent food crises witnessed in recent periods, and the severity of the food 
security shortages affecting many African countries, especially NFIDCs and LDCs which were 
exacerbated by th e pandemic and natural disasters, and further aggravated by current geo -political 
events. Currently, seven of the top ten hunger hotspots globally are in Africa and hundreds of 
millions of our people face food insecurity;  
 
Further concerned  about the steep  rise in prices of not only food products but also key inputs such 
as fertilizers and fuel, which will likely constrain current as well as next year 's food supplies;  
 
Commended  the progress made in achieving the objectives of the African Union Agenda 2063 : "The 
Africa We Want", including the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);  
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  We further recognize the need to build coherence by ensuring that the African Group 's negotiating 
objectives at the WTO fully support continental obj ectives such as industrialization, structural 
transformation and integration of the continent;  
 
Took note  that, due to the unprecedented challenges facing African Countries, the existing rules 
based multilateral trading system is in need of a reform that a ddresses the structural deficiencies in 
the system while re -enforcing the principles of fairness, transparency and equity;  
 
Reasserted  the need to ensure that negotiating outcomes and rules at the WTO support 
development objectives, reinforce Special and D ifferential Treatment and are consistent with 
continental ambitions, including industrialization, structural transformation and integration;  
 
Committed to strengthen coordination in the African Group at the WTO on our common positions 
and to ensure that de velopment is an integral component of all negotiating outcomes for all African 
economies;  
 
Reaffirmed support for an inclusive and transparent process in negotiations and our pledge to work 
constructively in multilateral negotiations to promote and defend Africa 's interests in line with the 
African Union 's Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want;  
 
Take note  of the informal processes initiated by Members, through joint Statement initiatives on 
Electronic Commerce, Investment Facilitation for Development, Services Do mestic Regulation, and 
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and recognizing that some Members of the African Group 
countries participate in these initiatives;  
 
Re-iterate  the attachment of Africa to a multilateral trading system that works for all; correct s 
historical imbalances and delivers on the Sustainable Development Goals;  
 
Reaffirmed  the importance of granting a Permanent Observer Status to the African Union in all 
WTO bodies and call upon all WTO members to support the African Union 's efforts to secure Observer 
Status in the WTO;  
 
Underscored the importance of a successful twelfth Ministerial Conference of the WTO that would 
contribute to enhancing the multilateral trading system in the current global economic environment;   
 
Having taken note  of the outcomes of the African Group Retreat held on 28 May 2022 in Geneva;  
 
Agreed to:  
 
1. Recall and reaffirm  the importance of implementing WTO Ministerial and General Council 
Decisions and Declarations adopted since Doha in 2001, in a non -discriminatory manner, 
with development at the centre  of the work program;  
 
WTO Response to the Pandemic  
2. Recogni ze the need for the WTO to develop a coordinated response to the pandemic that 
will enable global economic recovery and help to build resilience for future pa ndemics, and 
should in no way either constrain the policy tools and space that developing countries and 
LDCs need to respond to the pandemic, nor restrict tools and flexibilities available to 
developing countries and LDCs under the WTO agreements;  
 
3. Emphasi ze that a coordinated response to the pandemic will contribute to an equitable 
global economic recovery;  
 
4. Underscored the importance of a TRIPS trigger ready mechanism to obviate the need for 
future negotiations when faced with pandemics in future;  
 
TRIPS Waiver  
5. Re-emphasize  that a meaningful and workable TRIPS Waiver as co -sponsored by 
65 countries and supported by over 100 WTO Members  should be placed at the center of WT/MIN(22)/10  
 
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  any WTO response to the pandemic and express concern at the protracted multilateral 
negotiations process whose meaningful outcomes are long overdue;  
 
6. Urge  Members to approve a targeted and time -limited TRIPS Waiver to boost and diversify 
production of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics and to build national and regional 
manufacturing capa bilities across the world;  
 
Agriculture  
7. Reiterate  our deep concern with the lack of progress in agricultural negotiations, including 
Cotton, and the persisting imbalances in the domestic support pillar and call for a substantial 
reduction of trade distorti ng domestic support that takes account of the development needs 
of developing countries and LDCs, and also preserves the flexibilities associated with low -
income and resource -poor farmers;  
 
8. Reemphasize  the need for the formulation of adequate agricultural food security tools 
including through the establishment of a permanent solution on public stockholding that 
caters for the needs of all developing and least developed countries and through adopting a 
meaningful Special Safeguard Mechanism that protects vulnerable farmers and caters for 
the needs of developing countries, particularly in Africa;  
 
9. Support the Ministerial Declaration on SPS and call on Members to adopt the said 
Declaration at MC12;  
 
Food Security  
10. Reiterate  that long term resilience to future food crises and sustainable food security lies 
in unlocking the agricultural productive capacity of African economies through addressing 
longstanding asymmetries and imbalances in the Agreement on  Agriculture, and levelling of 
the playing field in international agricultural trade;  
 
11. Emphasize  the need for a MC12 outcome that responds to the immediate and urgent 
challenges of food insecurity and loss of livelihoods. The outcomes should provide policy  
space needed for developing countries to enhance the productive capacity of, and economic 
opportunities for Africa farmers, especially small -scale farmers;  
 
12. Recognize  the special need of LDCs and Net Food Importing Developing Countries  (NFIDs) 
for further  flexibilities to address their food security challenges that are exacerbated by 
climate change and further compounded by the COVID 19 Pandemic and current geopolitical 
developments. In this regard we support the draft Ministerial Decision on Food Insecuri ty in 
NFIDCs and LDCs and call upon all WTO Members to adopt this decision at MC12;  
 
13. Call on  WTO Members to commit to increase support for the provision of technical and 
financial assistance to developing country Members including through international and  
regional financial institutions with a view to improving their agricultural productive capacity, 
infrastructure and access to agricultural inputs;  
 
Economic recovery  
14. Acknowledge  the need for trade rules that promote economic recovery and fostering 
greate r resilience through more diversified production across the world. We re -affirm our 
support for the G90 Agreement specific proposals, which among others aim to achieve these 
objectives.  
 
15. Underscore  the important role of the WTO to promote the transfer of t echnology and know -
how in order to diversify the production across the world and to enable rapid scaling of new 
health innovations to advance global health and drive economic development in 
a manner  that is sustainable for the broader innovation ecosystem . 
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  Development and LDC Issues  
16. Reaffirm  that Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) is a treaty embedded right 
available to all developing countries including LDCs and must remain an integral part of all 
WTO Agreements and future instruments;  
 
17. Note  with c oncern the lack of progress in S&DT negotiations and reiterate  our commitment 
to seek meaningful outcomes on S&DT, in line with paragraph 44 of the Doha Declaration;  
 
18. Stress  the need to ensure that S&DT is strengthened in all WTO Agreements to provide the  
necessary flexibilities and policy space that African countries need to achieve their economic 
development objectives;  
 
19. Commit  to work with all parties to ensure S&DT provisions are precise, operational and 
effective and enable developing countries, part icularly LDCs in Africa, to respond effectively 
to their development needs, in line with the priorities of industrial development, structural 
transformation and diversification as entailed in Agenda 2063;  
 
20. Encourage  WTO Members to support LDCs in their eco nomic development endeavors and 
ensure a smooth transition from LDC to developing countries;  
 
Fisheries  
21. Reaffirm  the need for a balanced outcome that delivers on the mandate as captured in SDG 
14.6 and WTO Ministerial mandates;  
 
22. Underline  the importance of Common but Differentiated Responsibility in the negotiations 
and their outcomes, and the need for S&DT for deve loping countries in order to ensure food 
security, protect the livelihoods of coastal communities and provide policy space to 
strengthen their fisheries industries and capacities for economic and social development as 
mandated;  
 
23. Underscore  the importance of an appropriate de minimis  threshold and sufficient 
transitionary periods to accommodate the development objectives of African countries, and 
call for an outcome that exempts artisanal and small scale fisheries from  commitments and 
from certain provision s of the Agreement;  
 
24. Stress  that the disciplines must be applicable to large scale fishing, and target harmful 
subsidies that contribute immensely to overfishing and overcapacity;  
 
25. Emphasize  that an outcome on the fisheries subsidies negotiations must not undermine the 
right of coastal states and fully respect their territorial integrity and sovereignty;  
 
26. Acknowledge  the need for trade rules that promote economic recovery and fostering 
greater resilience through more diversified production across the world.  We re -affirm our 
support for the G90 Agreement specific proposals, which among others aim to achieve these 
objectives;  
 
27. Underscore  the important role of the WTO to promote the transfer of technology and know -
how in order to diversify the production across  the world and to enable rapid scaling of new 
health innovations to advance global health and drive economic development in a manner 
that is sustainable for the broader innovation ecosystem;  
 
Aid for Trade and Enhanced Integrated Framework  
28. Urge  Members to strengthen and improve the Aid -for-Trade initiative and ensure that it 
contributes towards achieving its trade -related capacity -building objectives, removing 
supply -side constraints, developing infrastructure and facilitating the integration of 
developing economies, particularly LDCs, in regional and global trade;  
 
29. Acknowledge  the contribution of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Program to 
LDCs initiatives and efforts to build capacity on the export supply side;  WT/MIN(22)/10  
 
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  WTO Reform and Appellate Body  
30. Reaffirm  that WTO reform must take into account the long -standing concerns of developing 
countries contained in the Doha Development Agenda, strengthen the multilateral trading 
system and improve the functioning of the WTO, and should safeguard its core pr inciples as 
enshrined in the Marrakesh Agreement;  
 
31. Underscore  that WTO reform must adopt a development -oriented approach and must 
promote development and inclusivity and deliver on outcomes that support the integration 
of Africa into the global economy;  
 
32. Stress  that the process towards WTO reform must be open, transparent and inclusive and 
must include re -establishing the nexus between trade and industrial development and re -
balance trade rules to support structural transformation, economic diversification  and 
provide policy space for African countries to industrialize. This is critical in building resilient 
economies;  
 
33. Emphasize  that the discussions on transparency must take into account the capacity 
constraints of African countries, and must not add new o bligations to Members that are not 
within the scope of the existing agreements;  
 
34. Further emphasize  that work towards necessary reform of the WTO  must take place under 
the purview of the General Council in dedicated sessions and that any recommendations 
from the process be agreed upon by consensus ; 
 
35. Call for the reinstitution of a fully -functional dispu te settlement mechanism, including the 
Appellate Body, in order to re -establish trust, security and predictability in the WTO;  
 
Accessions  
36. Pledge  support to African countries in the process of WTO accession and urge Members to 
desist from making unreasonab le requests on African acceding countries to extend any 
commitments made as a result of their membership to the AfCFTA or that are inconsistent 
with their levels of development;  
 
37. Call on Members to fully implement the 2012 General Council Decision on LDC accession 
"Streamlining and Operationalization of the 2002 LDC Accession Guideline s", in particular, 
benchmarks set for average tariff bindings on good s and market access for services . 
 
Geneva on 11 June 2022  
 
 
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