Representatives from various international organizations convened in Benin for the multi-agency Steering Committee meeting of the WTO-FIFA “Partenariat pour le Coton” initiative. The participants included members from the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Cotton made in Africa (CMIA), FIFA, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the WTO, and the UN resident coordinator in Benin.
In her opening remarks, Benin’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Ms. Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, emphasized the significance of the cotton sector to Benin's economic development and that of other Cotton-4 countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali. She acknowledged the critical work being done by the WTO and FIFA through this initiative. Additionally, she stressed the necessity of transforming more cotton fiber into textiles and highlighted that further support from key partners would be essential.
Minister Assouman also noted that World Cotton Day is scheduled to be held in Benin in October 2024 and welcomed collaboration with the Partenariat pour le Coton for this event.
Mr. Stephen Fevrier, Senior Advisor to the WTO Director-General, reiterated DG Okonjo-Iweala's strong support for the African cotton sector and emphasized the WTO's commitment to achieving tangible results through this initiative. He stated that “Partenariat pour le Coton” was a successful outcome of the WTO-FIFA Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2022. This joint effort has raised awareness about supporting C-4 countries and Côte d’Ivoire in advancing up the cotton value chain to ensure they reap more benefits.
Looking ahead, Mr. Fevrier urged the Steering Committee to build on research findings from the first stage of the initiative and establish clear timelines and deliverables for upcoming months. “Our next target is to leverage the partnerships established to deliver concrete results so that when we return to Cotonou for World Cotton Day, we can show meaningful progress,” he concluded.
Over three days, the Steering Committee will discuss and validate findings from a baseline assessment conducted by UNIDO with ITC support during phase one of Partenariat pour le Coton. This assessment aims to identify key constraints faced by C-4 countries in increasing value-added output from their cotton sectors. The second phase will focus on resource mobilization and implementing a comprehensive assistance program to address identified capacity gaps.