Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening South–South trade and economic cooperation. Speaking on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP) Ministerial Meeting, held on the margins of UNCTAD XVI in Geneva, the Minister urged a complete overhaul of the trade agreement.
Addressing ministers and senior officials from the developing world, Minister Ofosu-Adjare welcomed the recent push to revive and modernize the GSTP, an initiative originally established in 1988 under UNCTAD to promote trade preferences among developing nations. She stressed that the GSTP remains a vital instrument for expanding intra-developing-country trade, investment, and technology exchange, especially given current challenges like geopolitical tensions, debt pressures, and climate change. “Ghana sees the GSTP as a platform to translate our collective market potential into concrete partnerships for value addition, innovation, and sustainable development,” she stated.
The Minister expressed Ghana’s support for an inclusive review of the São Paulo Round outcomes to ensure that future actions reflect current global realities and the evolving priorities of developing economies. She highlighted the President’s vision for industrialization in Ghana under the 24-hour economy plus Industrial and Agribusiness Transformation Programme, emphasizing that Ghana’s leadership within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides a strategic link that stronger South–South partnerships could accelerate.
Furthermore, she encouraged GSTP members to integrate digital trade, green industrialization, and MSME participation into the next phase of the agreement and called for targeted technical cooperation from UNCTAD to help developing countries leverage preferential trade opportunities. Ghana’s participation is part of a broader push at UNCTAD XVI to advocate for fairer trade, deeper regional integration, and technology-driven economic transformation.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
