WTO talks collapse, no agreement on food security

The World Trade Organisation's Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires ended in an impasse on Wednesday evening as the US reneged on the commitment to give a permanent solution on public stockholding for developing countries. It also objected to any reference to the Doha development mandate in the proposed Ministerial Declaration which was something that was not acceptable to India and many other countries.

New Delhi, however, said that it managed to protect all its defensive interests. "The US position on a permanent solution led to a collapse of the agriculture negotiations. When there could be no agreement on agriculture, the possibility of an overall declaration also declined. But our food security remains protected as the peace clause is intact," a government official told BusinessLine .

Key takeaways

The biggest takeaway from MC 11 was the commitment from members to secure a deal on fisheries subsidies which delivers on taking commitments for paring IUU (illegal, unregulated , unreported) subsidies by 2019, said Susana Malcorra, Argentinean Minister and chair of MC 11. Members also committed to improve the reporting of existing fisheries subsidy programmes. "Buenos Aires will be remembered as the fisheries conference. It is here that the talks that were deadlocked for 15 years got moving," she said.

Pushing back a commitment on curbing IUU subsidies to 2019, despite a number of members eager to have an interim solution with immediate cuts, is a victory for India, the official said. India now has more time to ensure that there are adequate safeguards in place to protect artisenal fishers.

A work programme on e-commerce was also adopted at the MC 11 which was exactly like the one proposed by India with the old work programme continuing and a two year continuation of the moratorium on e-commerce linked to the continuation of one on TRIPS and non-violation complaints.

"During MC11 India stood firm on its stand on the fundamental principles of the WTO, including multilateralism, rule-based consensual decision-making, an independent and credible dispute resolution and appellate process, the centrality of development, which underlies the DDA, and special and differential treatment for all developing countries", according to an official release.

In addition, members took a number of other ministerial decisions, including extending the practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions for another two years, and commitment to continue negotiations in all areas. "Development and inclusiveness must remain at the heart of our work. They certainly remain at the core of my priorities in everything we do," WTO DG Roberto Azevedo said at a press conference at the end of the three-day meeting.

Some large groups of members have come together to advance issues of interest to them and to the global economy such as MSMEs, investment facilitation and e-commerce. "These groups are not just notable for their numbers, but for the diversity of the members involved: developed, developing and least-developed," Azevedo said. The groups, however, are informal and do not have a negotiating mandate.

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