Johnson Smith takes on multiple portfolios at WTO Ministerial Conference

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, facilitates discussions on electronic commerce in her role as Minister-Facilitator at the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC

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15. in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where Members are engaging on the future of digital trade and related rules. Latest News, News March 30, 2026 Johnson Smith takes on multiple portfolios at WTO Ministerial Conference KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, led Jamaica’s delegation to the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC
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17. in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where she served as vice-chair of the conference and minister-facilitator for negotiations on electronic commerce. Johnson Smith also assumed the roles of chair of the 125th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and coordinator of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Caucus during the conference.

In advancing Jamaica’s foreign trade priorities, the minister articulated the country’s positions on World Trade Organization (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 in a news release on Sunday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith (left), meets with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, on the margins of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The minister further explained that, as vice-chair and minister-facilitator, the focus was on guiding constructive engagement among members, bridging positions where possible and supporting a pathway towards consensus on key issues.

“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,” Johnson Smith noted. On agricultural matters, Jamaica also signalled the urgency of addressing food security concerns for net food-importing developing countries, particularly in light of recent climate-related disruptions, and 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 was supported by Ambassador Dr Richard Brown and Ambassador Esmond Reid, along with representatives from several ministries. 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 future rules governing digital trade, particularly for developing countries seeking to expand access while safeguarding development priorities.

The conference began on March 26 and ended on March 29.