Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, 16 April 2025 -The Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Honorable Alpha Ibrahim Sesay, had an extensive engagement with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Sierra Leone’s trade policy review.
During the meeting, Minister Sesay, on behalf of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, expressed gratitude to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala for her leadership and the WTO’s continued technical assistance to Sierra Leone, particularly in areas such as fisheries, capacity building, and trade negotiations.
He noted that the priority sectors identified by the Director-General’s office—such as fisheries governance and trade facilitation—align with the Government of Sierra Leone’s development priorities. The Minister further reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the WTO and requested ongoing support in trade facilitation, fisheries governance, trade financing, climate change, and e-commerce.
In her remarks, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala praised Sierra Leone’s efforts and achievements, especially the country’s commitment to a comprehensive Trade Policy Review as a step toward economic diversification. She emphasized the importance of harmonizing regional laws to regulate and protect West Africa’s territorial waters, highlighting the transformative impact this could have on the region’s people.
The WTO Director-General also reiterated the organization’s strong commitment to supporting Least Developed Countries (LDCs), ensuring that the benefits of trade reach ordinary citizens. She reaffirmed the WTO’s readiness to continue providing technical and capacity-building support to Sierra Leone in trade-related areas including negotiations and digital trade.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala also commended the Government of Sierra Leone for its proactive engagement in the ongoing Trade Policy Review process. She specifically lauded Dr. Lansana Gberie, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, for his robust defense of Sierra Leone’s interests during WTO negotiations, agreements, and standard-setting discussions.
Both parties acknowledged the significance of the meeting as a foundation for sustained collaboration and constructive dialogue aimed at delivering tangible results in their shared areas of interest.
For More Information:
Mohamed Sheriff
Information Attaché, Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: +41 79 175 66 48
Email: m.sheriff@slmge.ch
