The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Executive Director, Andrea Ostheimer, has called for stronger trade relations to drive development, warning that international trade cannot deliver its full benefits without the right domestic conditions, infrastructure and policies.
She made the remarks on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the opening of the KAS-World Trade Organization (WTO) Outreach Programme for Journalists at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, held during the Aid for Trade Global Review Week.
Ostheimer said the review provides an opportunity to assess two decades of Aid for Trade and examine how international trade can serve as an instrument for development, particularly for developing countries facing economic challenges.
She noted that the programme came at a time when official development assistance was declining and many developing countries were grappling with severe debt burdens that forced governments to make difficult spending priorities.
“In such a setting, strong trade relations are becoming more relevant than ever,” she said.
However, Ostheimer cautioned that trade should not be viewed as a guaranteed solution to development challenges, stressing that countries must establish the necessary conditions to benefit from regional and global markets.
She explained that trade integration goes beyond market access, as it can encourage domestic investment in infrastructure, reduce bureaucratic barriers and support the transition from informal to formal economic activities.
At the same time, she warned that trade could also produce adverse effects if the underlying constraints facing economies were not adequately addressed.
Describing trade as a powerful development tool, Ostheimer pointed to the difficulties African countries face in translating regional trade ambitions into practical benefits, particularly in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The journalists’ programme was organised and funded by the WTO Secretariat in collaboration with KAS as part of the WTO’s Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 2026–2027. It aims to strengthen journalists’ understanding of the organisation, the multilateral trading system and trade-related development issues.
The training brought together selected journalists from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
Sessions covered the WTO’s origins and principles, outcomes of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), trade and development, and practical use of WTO tariff and trade databases.
Participants also engaged with representatives of international organisations, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The Gambia joined the WTO on October 23, 1996, making discussions on trade and development particularly relevant to the country’s efforts to expand economic opportunities and strengthen its participation in international markets.
