Switzerland to participate in the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference
Bern, 24.03.2026 — Switzerland will participate in the 14th regular Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which will take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26 to 29 March 2026. State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda, Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), will lead the Swiss delegation.
The WTO Ministerial Conference is the organization’s highest decision-making body and generally convenes every two years. For Switzerland, it is a key platform for promoting an open, rules-based international trading system. In light of current geopolitical and economic challenges, Switzerland is particularly committed to far-reaching reforms of the WTO. The goal is to strengthen the organization’s ability to act and ensure it remains a central and reliable institution for global trade in the future.
In addition to multilateral negotiations, Switzerland has traditionally used the conference to hold bilateral talks with key trading partners. These meetings provide an opportunity to explore current economic and trade policy issues in depth and further develop existing relationships.