From field to factory, football and fashion: MC14 high-level event to spotlight cotton

The WTO Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and FIFA will bring together ministers, stakeholders, development finance institutions and private sector actors to discuss ways of advancing the transformation of the cotton, textile and garment value chain in West and Central Africa. The event will be an opportunity to showcase innovative partnerships that link trade, investment and sustainable development with sports and youth empowerment. 

Opening remarks will be delivered by representatives, including the Director-General of the WTO, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Executive-Director of the ITC Pamela Coke-Hamilton, a high-ranking official of UNIDO, Cameroon's Minister of Trade, Mr. Luc Atangana, and other ministers of trade from the Cotton-4 plus (C4+) countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire and Mali). 

The launch of the PPC Investment Platform will present investment opportunities and unveil strategic partnerships for 2026-2030. 

A high-level panel discussion will highlight that West and Central Africa is an investment-ready destination, with speakers making the business case for investing in the region. Panellists will include Benin's Minister of Trade, H.E. Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, the President of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), Mr. Adeeb Yousuf Al-Aama, the CEO of the Bank of Industry of Nigeria, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, and the CEO of Scan Thor, Mr. Frederik Thor. 

FIFA representatives and Cameroonian football legends - including Samuel Eto'o- will reveal the new tee-shirts and polo shirts produced by Benin (a C-4+ country) for the FIFA Football for Schools (F4S) programme, which will provide tens of thousands of jerseys in a milestone for the collaboration between FIFA and the PPC.  

A reception and immersive fashion show will feature the designs of Central and West African designers, spotlighting the benefits of cotton for breathability and sustainability, as well as celebrating cotton's role in Africa.  

There will also be a Cotton-Textile Innovation Exhibition and pop-up store throughout the Ministerial Conference, showcasing live demonstrations and exclusive cotton products, including jewellery. 

Background  

Launched at MC13 in Abu Dhabi, the Partenariat pour le Coton (PPC) is a flagship initiative that bridges the WTO's discussions on the development dimension of cotton with tangible industrialization and investment efforts across West and Central Africa. As a multistakeholder support mechanism, bringing together committed international organizations, finance institutions, and private-sector partners, the PPC supports the C-4+ countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tchad and Côte d'Ivoire) in mobilizing the investment needed to transform the cotton-to-textile value chain and to translate trade into meaningful development outcomes. 

The initiative aims to support the C4+ countries in mobilizing USD 5 billion in investment over a 10-year period, generating USD 6 billion in value-added products, and enabling the region to position itself as a competitive West and Central African cotton and textile gateway for investment. This transformation will help ensure that cotton-producing countries capture a greater share of value addition, with an estimated 500,000 decent jobs, especially for women and youth, enhancing livelihoods, reducing irregular migration pressures, and strengthening social stability. The PPC is therefore about leveraging trade and investment to produce sustained and inclusive development gains. 

Following the successful completion of its diagnostic phase (2024-2025), which identified priority investment areas across the C4+ countries, the PPC is now entering a critical implementation phase. To effectively support countries in attracting investment, donor funding, blended finance solutions and risk mitigation instruments must be mobilized at scale. 

MC14 comes at a pivotal moment, providing an opportunity to reinforce commitment, catalyse investment and accelerate the emergence of a stronger, more integrated regional cotton textile/garment ecosystem across West and Central Africa.