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MC14 event calls for scaling up support for Trade in Services for Development initiative

In Yaound? on the eve of the 14th Ministerial Conference on 25 March, a group of ministers underscored the central role of services trade in supporting development and emphasized the importance of WTO-World Bank efforts to help developing members overcome challenges. Director-General Okonjo-Iweala called for stronger international partnerships through the Trade in Services for Development initiative to boost support for developing members. "If we succeed, the benefits could be transformative: a global trading system that delivers more clearly on its promise of inclusive development," she said.

MC14 event calls for scaling up support for Trade in Services for Development initiative

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• 14th WTO Ministerial Conference

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The WTO-World Bank Trade in Services for Development (TS4D) initiative, launched in September 2024, is a capacity-building and technical assistance programme designed to help developing economies take advantage of opportunities presented by trade in services. ?At the event, the United Kingdom announced a new contribution of GBP 500,000 to the WTO Global Trust Fund to support technical assistance to developing economies, in particular the Trade in Services for Development initiative.

In her keynote speech, the Director-General said it is clear that services are no longer a secondary part of the economy, but are as critically important as agriculture and manufacturing. "Services already account for more than half of economic activity in most economies. But their importance goes far beyond their direct contribution to GDP and employment," she stressed.

DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the new opportunities created by services, particularly those powered by digital technologies, including enhancing connectivity, adding value to production chains, and diversifying exports.?

However, developing economies face challenges in harnessing services trade for development, she added. These challenges include complex regulatory environments, limited statistics and policy data, and insufficient integration of services trade in broader development and export strategies - obstacles that the TS4D initiative seeks to address.

Noting developing economies' strong demand for support, the Director-General said this initiative will help them "better understand their services trade potential, strengthen their policy frameworks, and build the capacity needed to turn opportunities into real development outcomes."

The Director-General called on all TS4D partners - including development banks and international organizations - to scale up support for developing economies through strengthened partnerships and expanded capacity-building and technical assistance to translate emerging opportunities into concrete action.

Ministers shared their country experiences and highlighted needs for practical support, including better data, improved regulatory frameworks, and stronger integration of services into national development strategies. They acknowledged the new TS4D tools as valuable resources for achieving these objectives.

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry of Ghana, said: "Services trade is no longer complementary to our economy. It is central because it supports transformation, diversification, job creation and resilience. The Services Trade Competitiveness Diagnostic Dashboard helps identify sectors where countries have comparative advantages and areas requiring reform, enabling more targeted and evidence-based policymaking." ??

Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, said: "Part of our resilience building agenda must be diversifying our services sector. This is absolutely critical to our growth. Culture and heritage are being increasingly leveraged as an exportable asset, strengthening our international brand and opening new markets in entertainment, fashion and cultural services."

Cham Nimul, Cambodia's Minister of Commerce, said: "Greater attention must be given to capacity building for LDCs, so that we are not only rule takers, but effective participants in service trade. Cambodia is investing in a digital-ready workforce to support emerging services exports. We are modernizing regulatory frameworks to facilitate competition in key services sectors, and we are working to better leverage regional and multilateral commitments to ensure that our services providers can access international markets."

Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry of Rwanda, said: " Services are no longer a supporting sector. They are a central engine of growth. Rwanda's strategic ambition in logistics, digital innovation and high value services can accelerate transition to a knowledge-based and export-oriented economy. TS4D tools are very critical for developing countries. The Competitiveness Dashboard will help governments identify gaps and make informed decisions."

Sir Chris Bryant, the United Kingdom's Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security, said: "The UK is pleased to contribute a further ?500,000 to the WTO Global Trust Fund in support of the Trade in Services for Development initiative, which is already helping developing economies build stronger, more competitive services sectors. Services are the fastest growing area of global trade, and this initiative offers practical tools that enable countries to strengthen their domestic regulatory environments and lower the cost of doing business. These foundations are essential for generating better jobs, attracting investment and unlocking new opportunities to trade."

Negus Kebede Kassaw, Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia, said: "Recognizing the sector's great potential, the government of Ethiopia has placed strong emphasis on strengthening the policy and regulatory framework governing service trade. Our approach is anchored in liberalization, digital transformation, financial sector reform and trade facilitation measures aimed at enhancing efficiency, and attracting investment."

In their discussions, senior representatives of international organizations explored ways to scale up financial and technical support for developing economies across various TS4D workstreams, with a view to delivering greater impact and addressing challenges in a more coordinated manner.

Ndiam? Diop, **** the **** World Bank Group's **** Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, said: "We are working with the WTO and our partners to scale up services trade in the context of the Trade in Services for Development initiative. There's a growing demand from our client countries to leverage World Bank Group operations for policy reforms. We will therefore continue to support countries in this important topic, leveraging the various tools that the World Bank Group and the WTO have jointly developed and the various financial instruments and technical assistance that the World Bank can deploy."

Johanna Hill, WTO Deputy Director-General, said: "The strong interest we have seen today in capacity-building and technical assistance is both encouraging and a call to action. The next step is to translate today's insights into concrete, country-level engagement and support for reforms. Doing so will require continued collaboration among members, development partners, and international organizations, as well as a shared determination to scale up capacity building."

Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said: "Least developed countries account for less than 1% of services trade. UNCTAD's report on least developed countries, published last month, maps the specific sectors where LDCs can gain ground. Collaboration among organizations can offer concrete solutions and help to close gaps."?

The programme and livestream link are available here.

More information

The first TS4D Global Conference, held on 3-4 December 2025, showcased policy tools to support services trade in developing economies. The TS4D Platform provides access to the Services Trade Competitiveness Dashboard aimed at helping policymakers assess their economy's performance in services trade and the Handbook on Good Regulatory Practices to Facilitate Trade in Services, which includes a diagnostic and planning tool for regulatory reform.

The platform also provides information on best practices for services export promotion strategies in developing economies. In addition, it?contains information on capacity-building efforts on services trade statistics and trade policy analysis.

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