MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRAD
2 Port Royal Street, Kington
MEDIA RELEASE
March 29, 2026
Johnson Smith Carries Multiple Portfolios at WTO Ministerial
Conference in Cameroon
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, has been leading Jamaica’s delegation to the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where she serves as a Vice-Chair of the Conference and Minister-Facilitator for negotiations on electronic commerce. She also took on the role of Chair of the 125th Special COTED and Coordinator of the CARICOM Caucus during the Conference.
In advancing Jamaica’s foreign trade priorities, Minister Johnson Smith has articulated Jamaica’s positions on WTO reform, dispute settlement, agriculture and digital trade, grounded in the need for a more responsive and development-oriented multilateral trading system.
“Jamaica is committed to supporting a process that delivers practical, development-focused outcomes, particularly for small vulnerable economies like ours. The WTO remains an essential pillar of the multilateral trading system, and it is therefore important that the decisions taken here help to shape our future. We continue to advocate for an inclusive, transparent and rules-based system, so that all Members can effectively participate in and benefit from global trade”, Johnson Smith said.
The Minister further explained that as Vice-Chair and Minister-Facilitator, the focus has been on guiding constructive engagement among Members, bridging positions where possible, and supporting a pathway towards consensus on issues that are central to the future of the WTO.
“The discussions here centre on efforts to build convergence around key elements of a potential Ministerial outcome, including the future of the longstanding moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions and the direction of the WTO’s Work Programme on E-Commerce. These issues continue to retain elements of deep divide among Members, with differing views on digital trade governance, development implications and policy space for emerging economies. In my role as Facilitator, I have been working to advance discussions and consultations across negotiating groups to hear proposals, identify areas of alignment and narrow gaps between proposals, as Members work towards a possible consensus based outcome”, she added.
On agricultural matters, Jamaica has also signalled to the international community the urgency of addressing food security concerns for Net Food-Importing Developing Countries, particularly in light of recent climate related disruptions, and has called for outcomes that respond to persistent inequities in global agricultural trade.
The Minister’s engagements form part of a broader effort by Jamaica to contribute to coordinated, consensus driven outcomes at MC14, as Members work through complex and often polarised issues shaping the future of global trade. Senator Johnson Smith is supported by Ambassador Dr. Richard Brown and Ambassador Esmond Reid as well as representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining.
Electronic commerce has become central to global trade, shaping how goods and services are exchanged and how economies participate in the digital marketplace. Decisions taken at MC14 are expected to influence the future rules governing digital trade, particularly for developing countries seeking to expand access and deepen their integration into the global digital economy, while safeguarding development priorities.
The Conference officially began on March 26 and is slated to end on March 29.
