Commerce Secretary-Level Officers of WTO Countries to Meet on October 23-24 in Geneva

Commerce secretary-level officers of all the 164 WTO member countries will meet on October 23-24 in Geneva to discuss issues which can be deliberated in the ministerial conference in February next year, a government official said. The Indian side will be represented by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal and Additional Secretary in the ministry Peeyush Kumar.

Issues which India is expected to raise include fisheries subsidy agreement, reforms in WTO’s dispute settlement body, moratorium on e-commerce, agriculture-related matters, among others, the official said. “Before the ministerial conference in February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, this time for a change a vice-ministers meeting is happening in Geneva on October 23-24. Secretary-level officers from all the 164-member countries will be there for the deliberations,” the official said.

Ministerial conference (MC) is the highest decision-making body of the WTO. The Geneva-based multi-lateral body deals with global exports and import-related norms and adjudicates trade disputes between the members. The World Trade Organization (WTO) members on June 17, 2022, secured a ‘Geneva Package’ which included agreements on curbing harmful fishing subsidies and temporary patent waiver for the production of COVID-19 vaccines.

The fisheries subsidies pact is limited to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing only and the full agreement would come up for discussions, the official added. In the 2022 MC, it was also agreed to find a final solution to the issue of continuation of a moratorium on imposing customs duties on electronic transmission of goods by the next MC.

India strongly opposes the continuation of this moratorium as it adversely impacts developing countries. New Delhi is expected to again oppose any further extension in the MC in Abu Dhabi.

In the agri segment, India has called for finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes. As part of a permanent solution, India has demanded amendments in the formula to calculate the food subsidy cap and inclusion of programmes implemented after 2013 under the ambit of ‘Peace Clause’, among others.

Besides, India has asked for SSM (special safeguard mechanism), which aims at protecting poor and marginal farmers from any surge in imports or a steep decline in prices. WTO’s agriculture negotiations encompass various topics, including domestic support, market access, export competition, export restrictions, cotton, public stockholding for food security purposes, special safeguard mechanism, and the cross-cutting issue of transparency.

The 13th MC will take place in the week of February 26, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.