After a long and winding journey that started when the World Trade Organization first chose Nairobi as the venue for its 10th Ministerial Conference, known by the acronym MC10, the time has come for us to actualize the dream of hosting the world in Africa. The meeting kicks off on Tuesday in Nairobi, where we expect to receive thousands of visitors.
It has been a year of hard work and tough negotiations. It has been a year of give-and-take as more than 160 member countries weighed in on diverse trade issues, asking what will work best for different members and for the world.
It hasn't been easy; there is still a lot of ground to be covered in the coming week. But I am glad that we have kept an unequivocal focus on making sure that trade plays a powerful role as an instrument of growth in the world. That work will be taken to the next level in Nairobi, where we hope for a binding agreement on diverse issues that will impact world trade for many years to come.
While the conference is taking place in Nairobi, it is important to underline that this is not just about Kenya. It is about Africa. Nairobi will be flying the flag for the whole continent at this, the first meeting of the WTO in Africa at this level.
Having the meeting here underlines that Africa has come of age. The tremendous growth the continent has registered in the last decade has shown that we are truly ready for business. In Nairobi, delegates will witness for themselves the story of Africa rising. (We hope they will also find time to enjoy the beauty and the warmth that this continent offers.)
On substantive matters, we have faith in the work that has been done throughout the year and hope that delegates will have the courage to agree and deliver on diverse issues that will have major ramifications for global trade.
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Africa has big hopes on issues that touch on areas of agriculture and development. For instance, we hope for good results on measures of export compensation for agriculture as well as measures that boost the capacity of the least developed countries to trade.
In September this year, the world met in New York and adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, hailed as an integrated and transformative vision for a new and better world. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the goals set there an "agenda for people, to end poverty in all its forms."
Those goals see trade as a fundamental element of the transformation they aim to bring about. In this, the year of their launch, we hope that the vibrancy and the youth that permeate all facets of life in Africa can offer new impetus to the delegates at MC10 in Nairobi to deliver a transformative declaration for the world.
By doing so, they will underscore the important role of trade and the WTO in building a firm foundation for employment and wealth creation for all people. These are important components of the massive reduction of poverty envisioned in the sustainable development goals.
On behalf of Kenya and all of Africa, it will be a tremendous honour to welcome the WTO delegates home to mother Africa. We hope they will enjoy their stay and will deliver the results we need and expect.
Ambassador Amina Mohamed is Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
