WEBINAR: Update from MC14 and the WTO with Australia’s Ambassador - James Baxter

Ambassador James Baxter, Australia's Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, will join us to discuss the outcomes of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), held in Yaoundé, Cameroon in March 2026.

MC14 took place from 26 to 30 March 2026, with ministers from across the world attending to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the multilateral trading system. The outcome was mixed against the ambitions set going in, with the conference closing without an overall ministerial declaration and without agreement on its core priorities.

In this webinar, Ambassador Baxter will offer an Australian perspective on what was agreed, where negotiations stalled, and what MC14 means for the multilateral trading system going forward. The session will include an opportunity for participants to ask questions.

Mr James Baxter is Australia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO in Geneva. He is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently First Assistant Secretary, Office of Global Trade Negotiations.

He has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Permanent Mission to the WTO in Geneva and in Belgium and Japan.

Mr Baxter holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Sydney.