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The Mo Ibrahim Foundation welcomes the results of the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference and commends the able and committed leadership of Director-General Ngozi Okongo-Iweala, the first African and woman to head the organisation, in securing better than expected deals for global health, global environment, and global food security, that consider the interests of Africa’s citizens.  
 
The deal on  a partial patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines for the next five years can help build Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity and strengthen the continent’s health autonomy and security, enabling to focus now on remaining challenges.
 
The deal on fishery subsidies marks the first time a WTO agreement is established to address an environmental objective, and is key to develop Africa’s considerable blue wealth in a sustainable manner.
 
The commitment to not apply export restrictions on food distribution by the World Food Programme will help address Africa’s growing food insecurity, due to the triple impact of climate change, two years of COVID, and the indirect effects of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
 
This sends a strong signal on the importance and value of multilateralism and international cooperation at a time of divisions among nations.  

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