Students and supervisors meet in Yaoundé for a full-scale immersion in the dispute settlement of the World Trade Organization.
The International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) kicked off the 24th edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on March 30, 2026, an international academic event dedicated to World Trade Organization (WTO) law. The event, held from March 31 to April 2, 2026, plunges participants into the heart of a simulated hearing inspired by the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.
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In the institution’s amphitheater, students and supervisors took stock of the exercise during an opening ceremony presided over by the Director of IRIC, H.E. Daniel Urbain Ndongo. In a sober speech, he urged candidates to demonstrate intellectual rigor and analytical finesse, qualities essential for conducting adversarial debates. He also welcomed the trust placed in IRIC, whose reputation now extends beyond national borders and attracts participants from several countries.
Taking the floor in turn, the representative of the John H. Jackson Foundation recalled the spirit of this competition, designed as a bridge between theory and practice. According to him, the competition provides a privileged framework for learning the subtleties of international trade law, while developing oratory and strategic skills.
For his part, Dr. Manfred Kouty, Assistant Professor and co-holder of the WTO Chair of Yaoundé/IRIC, detailed the course of the competition. Preliminary rounds, pleadings, and evaluation by specialized juries will punctuate these three days of intense academic exchanges, with both educational and professional stakes.
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Through the organization of this event, IRIC reaffirms its ambition to establish itself as a center of excellence in Central Africa, dedicated to high-level training and reflection on the major issues of international trade.
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