Category: Africa

Source: APO – Report:

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The 129 WTO members participating in the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA) issued a joint ministerial declaration on 29 March at the end of the 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon. A joint press release by the IFDA co-Coordinators – the Republic of Korea and Chile – is provided below.

MC14 in Yaoundé highlighted unprecedented political support for the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, expanded participation, and overwhelming backing for its incorporation into the WTO rulebook. Encouraged by the strong recognition of the Agreement’s development benefits at MC14, the 129 Members parties will continue to explore practical pathways for its effective implementation.

An overwhelming majority of WTO Members expressed strong support for incorporating the Agreement into the WTO framework alongside other so-called ‘Annex 4’ plurilateral agreements. On 28 March, at the first-ever dedicated Ministerial session of all WTO Members on the IFD Agreement, 165 of the WTO’s 166 Members supported the proposed Ministerial Decision on its incorporation. Earlier in the Ministerial Conference, Türkiye received a standing ovation when it announced that it would set aside its longstanding objection to the incorporation of the Agreement into the WTO rulebook.

Despite the absence of consensus on incorporation, the initiative will continue to move forward.

The 129 parties to the Agreement have issued a Joint Ministerial Declaration, signalling their strong collective determination to secure the timely entry into force and implementation of the IFD Agreement within the WTO framework, while intensifying efforts to advance technical assistance in support of implementation.

Bangladesh’s decision to join the IFD Agreement brought the total number of parties to 129 – over three-quarters of the WTO Membership – including 92 developing Members, of which 32 are African, and 28 are least-developed countries. The Agreement is open to any WTO Member who wishes to join.

Recent research estimates that implementing the Agreement could increase global FDI by at least 9.1% and raise global GDP by almost 1 percent over ten years.

The IFD Agreement contains provisions for developing and least-developed country Members to receive technical support for implementation, so that they can fully benefit from the Agreement. To date, 27 IFD needs assessments in developing and least-developed country Members have either been completed or are ongoing. At MC14, several Members and partner financial institutions announced new support for IFD Agreement needs assessments and related implementation efforts.

In particular, at a high-level multi-stakeholder event on the margins of MC14, on 25 March, the European Union indicated that, in the initial phase of the EIB-WTO Trade and Investment Facilitation Initiative, the European Investment Bank would provide financing of up to EUR 300 million for mature projects in targeted countries parties to the IFD Agreement, with the potential to mobilize close to EUR 1 billion in total investment.  China announced an additional contribution of USD 1.59 million to the International Trade Centre (ITC) to support technical assistance projects on investment facilitation, aiming to assist 10 developing Members in conducting needs assessments and subsequent implementation. The United Kingdom announced a contribution of GBP 750,000 to the World Bank Competitiveness for Jobs and Economic Transformation (C-JET) Fund reflecting its commitment to ensuring that the benefits of IFD Agreement are shared by all.

“The IFD Agreement is the hard-earned result of 129 Members’ efforts and a vital engine for growth and development, especially for developing and least-developed members,” said Korean Minister for Trade Han-koo Yeo. “It imposes no obligations on WTO Members who choose not to join it, and all WTO Members will benefit from parties’ implementation of its provisions. We will ensure that its benefits are delivered to all participants without delay and are determined to push forward to bring the IFDA into the WTO architecture,” he said.

“The IFD Agreement is fully compatible with the WTO legal framework, and has earned the backing of almost the entire WTO Membership because of the clear and large benefits for all Members, especially developing countries, and for the multilateral trading system. We will continue to work towards the incorporation of the IFD Agreement into the WTO rulebook,” added Paula Estévez, Chile’s Vice-Minister for International Economic Relations.

“I congratulate the 129 participants of the IFD Agreement on their determination to keep pushing forward,” said WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. “Our goal is a more agile WTO that can seize opportunities and move nimbly to deliver benefits for people and businesses around the world, and the IFD Agreement represents an important step in that direction.”

– on behalf of World Trade Organization (WTO).

Source: APO – Report:

For the first time, Africa’s leading infrastructure financiers, fund managers, investors and industry leaders will convene in Nairobi, with a bold mandate to unlock domestic capital and turn the continent’s industrial ambitions into a tangible, job-creating reality.

Hosted by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the inaugural Africa We Build Summit will take place from 23 to 24 April 2026. Held under the theme “Infrastructure as the Engine of Industrialisation”, the Summit will convene decision-makers to originate and advance bankable projects, strengthen regional integration, and accelerate Africa’s industrial development.

At its core, The Africa We Build Summit 2026 signals a shift from standalone projects to integrated infrastructure systems. Sessions will explore regional corridor investments, expanded rail and port networks, cross-border energy systems, and the development of strategic minerals value chains.

H.E. Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, will deliver the keynote address, underlining the highest-level commitment to advancing regional integration and large-scale industrial development.

A focus of the Summit is mobilising a bigger portion of Africa’s substantial domestic capital base towards bankable and globally competitive infrastructure and industrial opportunities.

The Summit is underpinned by the launch of the “State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2026”—the most comprehensive analysis to date of Africa’s cross-continental investment landscape—interrogating investment gaps, capital flows, and priority project pipelines to directly inform capital deployment and project execution in support of “The Africa We Build” agenda.

Commenting ahead of the Summit, Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of AFC, said: “Africa is not capital-poor; it is capital-trapped. The opportunity now is to channel that capital into infrastructure and industry at scale—transforming resources into productivity, jobs, and long-term prosperity.”

Anchored in bankable projects, investable pipelines, and execution-focused partnerships, The Africa We Build Summit is designed as a delivery platform. Initiatives such as the Lobito Corridor and new national infrastructure financing vehicles, such as the Kenya National Infrastructure Fund, demonstrate what is possible when capital, policy, and projects are aligned. These programmes aim to build integrated economic ecosystems that connect resources to energy, logistics, processing, and markets.

Recognising the East African Community as one of the continent’s most dynamic regional blocs, the Summit will spotlight priority regional corridors such as the Northern Corridor, linking the Port of Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan, alongside complementary routes connecting ports and coastal assets to the hinterland. Discussions will focus on regional connectivity in road and rail, including upgrades along key cross-border highways, and advance a broader East African Railway Master Plan.

A central theme will be linking power and minerals, with an emphasis on value addition rather than mere extraction, to ensure that infrastructure investments deliver long-term economic transformation.

For more information on The Africa We Build Summit, please visit AfricaWeBuild (https://apo-opa.co/47urk1Y).

– on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Media Enquiries:
Yewande Thorpe
Communications
Africa Finance Corporation
Mobile : +234 1 279 9654
Email : yewande.thorpe@africafc.org

About AFC:
AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.

Eighteen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of energy, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 48 member countries and has invested over US$19 billion in 36 African countries since its inception.

Source: APO

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Estevão Pale, Mozambique’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, has joined the upcoming Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference and Exhibition as a speaker. Minister Pale will lead a delegation to the event this September (9-10), strengthening regional cooperation at a time when global demand for LNG is set to rise 54% by 2040. With Mozambique preparing for large-scale LNG production and Angola advancing its gas monetization strategy, AOG 2026 comes at a critical time for coordination, investment and knowledge-sharing between the two countries.

His participation comes as several large-scale LNG projects are gaining traction. Following improved security dynamics on the ground, several projects have resumed operations in 2026, with adjusted project timelines seeing Mozambique’s export capacity rising significantly by the early 2030s. These include the $20 billion TotalEnergies-led Mozambique LNG project, set to begin exports in 2029 with a capacity of 13 million tons per annum (mtpa), and the ExxonMobil-led Rovuma LNG project (18 mtpa), targeting FID in 2026 and a 2030 production start. The Eni-led Coral Norte FLNG project (3.2 mtpa) reached FID in 2025, with production on track for a 2028 start. Eni has been operating the Coral Sul FLNG project since 2022, with the addition of Coral Norte increasing Area 4 production to 7 mtpa. With project timelines extending toward the latter part of the decade, Mozambique is now firmly in the project execution and financing phase, making investment stability, infrastructure development and export strategy key priorities for the government.

Angola’s gas strategy is developing in parallel, creating strong potential for collaboration between the two countries. Operational since 2013, Angola LNG continues to anchor the country’s gas monetization, producing 4.2 million barrels of oil equivalent in February 2026. The facility is set to receive a major feedstock boost following first gas delivery at the Quiluma field in March 2026 – part of the New Gas Consortium-led non-associated gas project. Recent discoveries such as the Gajajeira-01 well at Block 1/14 – Angola’s first dedicated gas discovery – are reinforcing Angola’s long-term gas potential, paving the way for greater LNG exports.

As the country works toward increasing the penetration of gas to 25% of its energy mix in the near-term, Angola’s gas pivot offers vital lessons for Mozambique. As a long-time LNG producer, Angola’s experience in LNG operations, gas monetization and export logistics prove especially valuable, particularly as both countries look to position themselves as reliable LNG suppliers to global markets. AOG 2026 will serve as a launchpad for bilateral collaboration, facilitating greater engagement between Angolan and Mozambique entities.

Collaboration goes beyond projects, with Angola’s regulatory and fiscal experience providing strategic lessons for Mozambique as it looks to sustain investment momentum. Angola’s ability to consistently attract foreign capital and incentivize new players to the market is largely accredited to its multi-year licensing strategy – launched in 2019 with 64 blocks negotiated – as well as supportive policy environment. This includes regulations such as the Gas Master Plan and incremental production decree, launched in 2025 and 2024 respectively. As Mozambique prepares for the next phase of its LNG developments, lessons learnt from Angola’s policy environment could help the country strengthen its competitiveness for foreign capital.

AOG 2026 provides a platform for these types of discussions. Over the years, the event has increasingly become a meeting point not only for Angola’s oil and gas industry, but for regional cooperation across Africa’s energy markets. With Minister Pale leading a delegation to the event, AOG 2026 is expected to play an important role in advancing dialogue around LNG development, gas monetization, investment frameworks and regional cooperation. At a time when African gas is becoming more important to global energy security, closer collaboration between Angola and Mozambique could help position both countries as key players in the global LNG market.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Source: APO

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The Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) has today called on Commonwealth leaders, governments and sporting institutions to ensure that the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow deliver a lasting legacy of hope and opportunity for young people across the Commonwealth.

The call follows renewed international debate around historical justice and reparations linked to the transatlantic slave trade, including a landmark resolution led by Ghana at the United Nations calling for recognition of slavery as one of the gravest crimes against humanity and encouraging nations to consider restorative measures and development initiatives. 

Responding to these developments, Youth Charter Founder and Chair Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL said that the forthcoming Commonwealth Games present a powerful opportunity to move the global conversation forward by investing in the next generation.

“The past must be acknowledged and remembered, but justice must ultimately be measured in the opportunities we create for future generations. Glasgow 2026 provides the Commonwealth with a historic opportunity to transform the debate from one of grievance to one of hope.”

The Youth Charter is proposing that the Games serve as the launch platform for a Commonwealth Youth Legacy Initiative, built around the organisation’s internationally recognised Community Campus model.

The Community Campus initiative provides place-based hubs that integrate:

• sport and physical activity
• education and digital learning
• youth leadership development
• entrepreneurship and employability programmes
• arts, culture and community engagement.

Developed over more than three decades of Youth Charter work in sport for development and peace, the Community Campus framework follows a simple pathway:

Engage – Equip – Empower

Young people are first engaged through sport and cultural activity, equipped with education and leadership skills, and ultimately empowered to pursue careers, enterprise and community leadership.

The Youth Charter believes that Glasgow 2026 offers a unique opportunity to connect sport, education and economic opportunity through the creation of:

• Commonwealth Community Campuses
• Educational bursaries for youth leadership and sport development
• Entrepreneurship incubators linked to the global sport and creative economy
• Digital learning networks connecting young people across the Commonwealth.

Such initiatives would contribute directly to the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of education, health, gender equality, economic opportunity and reduced inequalities.

Mr Thompson added:

“The real legacy of sport is not measured only in medals or stadiums, but in the lives it transforms. If the Commonwealth is serious about building a better future, then we must invest in the leadership, creativity and entrepreneurship of young people across our communities.”

With more than 60% of Commonwealth citizens under the age of 30, Youth Charter believes that investing in youth development represents one of the most powerful opportunities for social progress and economic growth.

The organisation is now calling on Commonwealth governments, sporting bodies, universities and private sector partners to collaborate in delivering a Commonwealth Youth Legacy Programme linked to Glasgow 2026.

The Youth Charter has also proposed the adoption of a Commonwealth Youth Legacy Declaration that would commit member states to expanding youth opportunity through sport, education and enterprise.

“Glasgow 2026 can become more than a sporting celebration,” Mr Thompson said.

“It can become the moment when the Commonwealth demonstrates how sport can be a catalyst for reconciliation, empowerment and sustainable development.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Youth Charter.

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About Youth Charter:
The Youth Charter is a UK registered charity and UN accredited non-governmental organisation. Launched in 1993 as part of the Manchester 2000 Olympic Bid and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the Youth Charter has Campaigned and Promoted the role and value of sport, art, culture and digital technology in the lives of disaffected young people from disadvantaged communities nationally and internationally. The Youth Charter has a proven track record in the creation and delivery of social and human development

Source: APO

Cameroon’s Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the Chair of MC14, said ministers worked to conclude as many issues as possible across the various areas of negotiation during the four-day meeting. He thanked the ministers facilitating the discussions as well as all the ministers and delegations in attendance for their “tireless work.”

“You have shown constructive participation through very long days and short nights,” he said.  “You have shown your determination to make MC14 a landmark conference.”  

Nevertheless, he admitted, “we ran out of time” with regards to several outstanding issues such as the WTO’s work programme on electronic commerce and the continuation of the existing moratoriums on customs duties for electronic transmissions and non-violation complaints under the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed progress in the discussions on a work programme for advancing ongoing talks on WTO reform, the decision on advancing work on further disciplines on harmful fisheries subsidies, and other issues.

“A lot was accomplished,” she declared.  “We decided to work differently.  I think we have a new WTO way of working . to modernize the way we do business, so we can be more nimble, more responsive as we move forward.”

She suggested members use the draft texts developed over the four days of ministerial discussions to finalize agreements on outstanding issues in Geneva at the next General Council meeting.

MC14 outcomes

Ministers agreed to continue to engage in negotiations on fisheries subsidies, with the aim of making recommendations to the 15th Ministerial Conference to achieve the comprehensive disciplines on fisheries subsidies referred to in Article 12 of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

Ministers also adopted two MC14 decisions that were endorsed earlier by members in Geneva: on improving the integration of small economies into the multilateral trading system; and on enhancing the precise, effective and operational implementation of special and differential treatment provisions in the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).

Continued work in Geneva

“We are very close to a Yaoundé package of agreements that would be important for members and the future of the organization,” added Director-General Okonjo-Iweala.  “But we are not all the way there yet.”

“In the circumstances, we believe that it would be appropriate to preserve the important texts we have developed here and use them as a basis to finalize agreements in Geneva at the next General Council meeting.”

The Director-General said the emerging Yaoundé package that members would be bringing back to Geneva include the following:

the draft Yaoundé Ministerial Declaration on WTO Reform and Work Plan;
the draft Ministerial Decision on Electronic Commerce;
the draft Ministerial Decision on the Moratorium on TRIPS Non-Violation and Situation Complaints; and
the least developed country (LDC) package.
Finalizing this package “would amount to a considerable achievement,” the Director-General said. “We shouldn’t leave it on the table.”

She noted that the existing moratoriums related to customs duties on electronic transmissions and TRIPS non-violation and situation complaints will expire at the end of this month. 

The Director-General’s remarks are available here.

The Ministerial Conference, normally held every two years, is the highest decision-making body of the WTO.  Nearly 2,000 trade officials, including more than 90 ministers, attended the four-day MC14 in Yaoundé, the second time a Ministerial Conference has taken place in Africa

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Trade Organization (WTO).