DDG Hill discusses WTO accessions at Horn of Africa Initiative ministerial meeting

Four Horn of Africa countries - Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan - are currently negotiating their accession to the WTO. This is half of the total number of African countries seeking to join the WTO and some of the most active in the WTO accession process, DDG Hill noted. Recent progress was made in particular with the accession of Ethiopia, with the 5th Working Party meeting held in March, and the accession of Somalia, with the first Working Party meeting taking place in February.

DDG Hill pointed to Ethiopia's "Homegrown Economic Reform Programme" launched in 2019, which demonstrates its strong commitment to economic transformation and to building an open and rules-based economy. She said: "WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has stressed that Ethiopia's accession is a strategic priority for the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference, which will take place in Cameroon in March 2026. As the largest economy currently outside the WTO and one of the few remaining least-developed countries in the accession pipeline, Ethiopia’s membership would meaningfully advance the WTO’s goal of universality."

"Somalia has demonstrated strong political commitment and dedicated technical expertise in the process," she added, noting the complementarity between WTO accession efforts and the country's ongoing work to integrate into the East African Community.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss an action plan aimed at boosting trade across the Horn of Africa, building on prior commitments and technical consultations. DDG Hill noted that this year's focus on regional trade and trade facilitation issues is very timely. "Strengthening trade links can be a key piece in fostering regional integration and connectivity in the Horn of Africa", she said.

The 24th Horn of Africa Initiative was co-chaired by Ethiopia's Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and the World Bank's Acting Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa Amit Dar. It brought together ministers of finance and high-level officials from the region. Ministers welcomed a new USD 10 billion contribution from development partners, including the African Development Bank, the European Union, Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Kingdom and the World Bank.

The meeting closed with Somalia's Finance Minister, Bihi Iman Egeh, taking over as the new chair of the Initiative for the next two years.

Horn of Africa Initiative

Through the Horn of Africa Initiative, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are committed to coordinating approaches to exploring regional synergies and addressing regional challenges. They also prioritize regional programmes in infrastructure connectivity, economic integration, resilience building and skills development.

WTO accessions in the Horn of Africa

More information on Ethiopia's accession is available here.

More information on Somalia's accession is available here.

Sudan held its 5th Working Party meeting on 26 July 2021. More information on Sudan's accession is available here.

South Sudan held its first Working Party meeting on 21 March 2019. More information on South Sudan's accession is available here.

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