Vietnam has called on members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to strengthen dialogue and build consensus in preparation for the organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), scheduled to take place in Yaounde, Cameroon, from March 26 to 29.
Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, along with other mission officials, recently attended the WTO’s first regular meeting in 2026 at its headquarters in Geneva.
The meeting took place at a time when the multilateral trading system is facing multiple challenges and negotiations remain marked by divergent views among members. As such, the session was considered important for advancing discussions and finalising substantive documents to be submitted to MC14 for consideration.
Amid diverging views among WTO members across key issues, Vietnam delegation actively engaged in discussions and delivered constructive remarks on three major topics, not only clarifying Vietnam’s stance but also underscoring its role as a bridge-builder to promote dialogue and urge members to step up cooperation to safeguard and reinforce the rules-based multilateral trading system.
Regarding the WTO reform, Vietnam said that although the current draft texts may not fully meet the expectations of all members, they reflect the outcomes of extensive consultations and should therefore be submitted to MC14 for ministers to review and provide further guidance.
Vietnam also stressed the importance of ensuring policy space for members, particularly amid green and digital transitions, while calling for the full and effective restoration of the WTO’s dispute settlement system – an important pillar of the multilateral trading system.
For negotiations on fisheries subsidies, Vietnam expressed pride in being among the members that helped bring the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into force on September 15, 2025.
Looking ahead to the second round of negotiations, it voiced support for developing a comprehensive agreement to help curb overfishing and promote sustainable management of global fishery resources.
In the field of agriculture, particularly food security, Vietnam supports adopting a ministerial declaration at MC14 to maintain momentum for negotiations on agricultural reform, with the ultimate goal of delivering tangible benefits for farmers while contributing to global food security amid emerging challenges.
Throughout the discussions, the Vietnamse delegation conveyed a consistent message appealing to WTO members to demonstrate political will and necessary flexibility to achieve meaningful outcomes at the upcoming MC14 in Yaounde.
Vietnam’s proactive engagement and constructive contributions at the WTO meeting once again underscored its role as an open economy that firmly supports multilateralism while actively advocating the legitimate interests of developing countries within the global trading system.
