Sustainability outcomes of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference: Implications for Africa
The 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024, was expected to advance global discussions on the relationship between trade and environmental sustainability. This briefing reviews the sustainability-related outcomes of the conference, highlights initiatives that took place on its margins, and assesses the implications for Africa. Despite growing recognition that trade policy can support climate action and environmental protection, the conference delivered only limited progress on these issues.
Momentum for integrating environmental sustainability into the multilateral trading system had been building in recent years. At the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in 2022, WTO Members acknowledged the urgency of global environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, while recognising the role of trade in supporting sustainable development. MC12 also resulted in the adoption of the first part of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS), the first WTO agreement with explicit environmental objectives. However, this momentum was not sustained at MC13. The Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration reaffirmed sustainable development as an overarching objective of the WTO but did not include specific references to climate change or a dedicated section on trade and the environment. Expected outcomes, such as revitalising the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) or launching discussions on industrial policy, also failed to materialise.
Negotiations on fisheries subsidies highlight the limited progress achieved. While the AFS prohibits subsidies supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and those targeting overfished stocks, it has not yet entered into force because the required number of WTO Members have not ratified it. In addition, members were unable to conclude negotiations on further disciplines addressing subsidies that contribute to fishing overcapacity and overfishing, despite significant efforts before the conference.
Some modest developments occurred through member-led plurilateral initiatives. The Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP), and the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFSR) initiative released ministerial statements and updated work plans at MC13. These initiatives continue to facilitate dialogue on issues such as trade-related climate measures, environmental goods and services, plastics pollution and fossil fuel subsidies. However, the outcomes mainly consisted of analytical work, exchanges of best practices and voluntary commitments rather than binding decisions.
Several sustainability-related initiatives also took place on the margins of MC13. In particular, the Coalition of Trade Ministers for Climate convened and adopted a communiqué and a “menu of voluntary actions” encouraging greater cooperation on trade, climate and sustainable development. While these developments signal continued political attention to the issue, they remain largely aspirational.
For African countries, the limited outcomes of MC13 present both challenges and opportunities. The African Group has expressed concerns about unilateral environmental trade measures introduced by developed countries, which may create barriers to trade and undermine development objectives. At the same time, African countries recognise the importance of engaging in discussions on sustainable trade. Greater participation in initiatives such as TESSD or the plastics dialogue could help African countries shape emerging green trade rules, address challenges such as plastic pollution and fisheries sustainability, and identify opportunities in areas such as renewable energy, green hydrogen and sustainable goods.
