Yaoundé, Cameroon (National Times) At the 14th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance and Railways, Bilal Azhar Kayani, carried out a full day of high-level diplomatic and negotiating engagements focused on strengthening global trade cooperation and advancing key agenda items.

The day began with Minister Kayani co-hosting a session of the Multiparty Interim Arrangement for Arbitration (MPIA) alongside counterparts from the European Union, Singapore, and Colombia. The MPIA serves as an alternative appellate mechanism for dispute resolution among participating WTO members. During the session, participants welcomed new members, noting that its growing membership highlights the urgent need for a stable and fully operational dispute settlement system to uphold a rules-based global trading order.

A significant portion of Minister Kayani’s engagements was dedicated to his role as Minister-Facilitator for agriculture negotiations—one of the most critical and longstanding issues within the WTO framework. He led intensive consultations aimed at building consensus around the draft Ministerial Declaration on Agriculture, Trade, and Global Food Security.

Through a series of small-group discussions and bilateral meetings with key stakeholders, he worked to identify common ground and “landing zones” acceptable to diverse member states. Emphasizing inclusivity, he noted that the draft text sought to reflect the priorities of all members and called for flexibility and mutual trust to advance negotiations. He stressed that a meaningful outcome on agriculture at the conference would be pivotal in restoring confidence in the WTO’s effectiveness.

Later in the evening, Minister Kayani chaired an extended session on agriculture, where representatives from 76 member states exchanged views on the draft declaration. Discussions covered a wide range of issues including food security, farmers’ livelihoods, sustainability, climate vulnerability, and development concerns. While consensus remained elusive, a broad majority of members expressed support for the draft text and commended his efforts to bridge differences.

On the sidelines of the conference, Minister Kayani also held a bilateral meeting with a senior German delegation to explore avenues for enhancing trade and economic cooperation. Both sides reviewed existing barriers and discussed strategies to unlock the full potential of bilateral trade relations.

He was accompanied throughout the engagements by Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, Ali Sarfraz Hussain, who assisted in facilitating discussions and diplomatic coordination.