The Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Rebecca Miano will lead the Kenyan Delegation to the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which will take place in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates from 26th to 29th February.
MC13 will focus on crucial trade-related policies that are of key interest to Kenya and that will include, agriculture, subsidies for the fisheries sector, trade and sustainable development, digital trade and reforms to the existing multilateral trading system.
The CS has been appointed to facilitate agriculture negotiations at MC13, one of the longstanding trade policy issues at the WTO.
Members of this caucus are working towards addressing challenges that will address contemporary challenges in the agriculture sector such as food security and trade-related distortions.
The outcome is expected to deliver a fairer, more, equitable and market-oriented agricultural trading system, ending hunger and improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems and adopting resilient agricultural practices that enhance productivity and production.
This is in fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 2 of the United Nations. Of particular focus will be securing the interests of small-scale food and agriculture producers in developing countries; To achieve her interests, Kenya will be participate in several deliberations on existing frameworks including regional groups at the Ministerial level such as the African Ministers of Trade meeting; the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group Ministerial Meeting and the Second Meeting of the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate.
Additionally, the Cabinet Secretary will actively participate in Ministerial conversations on trade and sustainable development, including trade and industrial policy, policy space for industrial development, and ministerial conversation on trade and inclusion.
At the bilateral level, the Cabinet Secretary will consult with several Ministers of Trade from several countries to enhance bilateral trade relations between them and Kenya.
The success of MC13 will underscore the importance of the multilateral trading system in addressing the interests of members—Kenya included—as they relate to trade and sustainable development.
