International trade is being asked to deliver more at a time of mounting development setbacks, geopolitical shifts, and intensifying climate pressures. For African countries in particular, the challenge is not only whether the trade system can respond, but whether it can do so in ways that support priority development objectives in a rapidly changing global landscape. 

This high-level Opening Plenary will frame the central question of the 2026 Trade + Sustainability Hub: how should the global trade system deliver for development?

Speakers from government, civil society, and international organizations will explore how trade policy can serve as a constructive force across the Hub’s three interconnected themes—delivering for agriculture, enabling an inclusive low-carbon global economy, and supporting digitized industrialization where small businesses can thrive. The discussion will take an integrated view of these issues, highlighting the links between food security, climate action, and digital transformation, and examining how choices in one area shape outcomes in others. Participants will also consider what to expect from the WTO agenda, including key MC14 discussions, alongside the growing role of coalitions, regional agreements, and unilateral action, and what this evolving trade landscape means for Africa’s sustainable development prospects.