Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO.
Issues that India is expected to raise include fisheries subsidy agreement, reforms in WTO dispute settlement body, moratorium on e-commerce, agriculture-related matters, among others
Officials at the level of the trade secretaries of all 164 WTO member states will meet in Geneva on October 23-24 to discuss issues to be discussed at the ministerial conference in February next year, a government official said. The Indian side will be represented by Commerce Minister Sunil Barthwal and Additional Secretary in the Ministry Peeyush Kumar.
Issues India is expected to raise include the fisheries subsidy agreement, reforms in the dispute settlement body of the WTO, the moratorium on e-commerce and agriculture-related matters, the official said. “For the February 2024 ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi, this time, for a change, a meeting of deputy ministers will take place in Geneva on October 23 and 24. Secretary-level officials from all 164 member states will be present at the deliberations,” the official said.
Ministerial Conference (MC) is the highest decision-making body of the WTO. The Geneva-based multilateral body deals with global export and import-related standards and settles trade disputes between its members. The members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) secured a ‘Geneva package’ on June 17, 2022, containing agreements on reducing harmful fishing subsidies and temporary exemption from patents for the production of COVID-19 vaccines.
The fisheries subsidy pact is limited to only illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and the entire agreement would come under discussion, the official added. The 2022 MC also agreed to find a final solution for the continuation of a moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic shipment of goods by the next MC.
India strongly opposes the continuation of this moratorium as it has a negative impact on developing countries. New Delhi is expected to resist further expansion of the MC in Abu Dhabi again.
In the agri segment, India has called for a permanent solution to the problem of public stock for food security. As part of a permanent solution, India has asked, among other things, for changes to the formula for calculating the food subsidy ceiling and for programs implemented after 2013 to be included under the ‘peace clause’.
In addition, India has asked for SSM (Special Safeguard Mechanism), which aims to protect poor and marginal farmers from an increase in imports or a sharp drop in prices. The WTO’s agricultural negotiations cover several topics, including domestic support, market access, export competition, export restrictions, cotton, public storage for food security, special safeguard mechanism and the cross-cutting issue of transparency.
The 13th MC will take place the week of February 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
