IAEA and ILO Join WTO-FIFA Cotton Initiative Steering Committee to Empower African Cotton Producers
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- Published: Sunday, 21 April 2024 03:46
The steering committee of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)-Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Cotton Initiative has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting African cotton-producing countries, particularly the Cotton Four (C4)—Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali—and Cote d’Ivoire, by intensifying efforts to deliver tangible results. In its first meeting since the launch of the ‘Partenariat pour le Coton’ at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February, the committee welcomed two new partners—the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO)—as its members.
The ‘Partenariat pour le Coton’, unveiled by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and FIFA President Gianni Infantino on February 25, aims to strengthen the WTO-FIFA cotton partnership and support African countries' participation in cotton value chains. During the meeting, participants reviewed the progress made thus far and assessed the work in West Africa by CMIA, an internationally recognized standard for sustainable cotton.
Discussions centered on identifying possible actions to drive future measures and investment in the cotton-to-textile production chains in Western Africa, with the goal of enhancing economic returns for these countries. The IAEA and ILO offered insights into how their areas of expertise can support and integrate into the technical work for analyzing the cotton sector in the C4 plus countries.
The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Cotonou, Benin, in early June this year, where further collaboration and strategies will be discussed to advance the objectives of the initiative. With the inclusion of IAEA and ILO, the steering committee is poised to leverage their expertise and resources to empower African cotton producers, foster sustainable development, and strengthen the cotton value chain in the region.
As the initiative progresses, it is expected to contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of African cotton-producing countries, promote inclusive growth, and enhance their participation in global trade. The partnership between WTO and FIFA underscores the importance of collaboration between international organizations in addressing complex challenges and achieving sustainable development goals, particularly in the agriculture sector.
In conclusion, the addition of IAEA and ILO to the steering committee of the WTO-FIFA Cotton Initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening the partnership and advancing the interests of African cotton-producing countries. Through collective action and cooperation, the initiative aims to create a more equitable and sustainable cotton industry, benefiting millions of farmers and communities across the African continent.