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Outcomes of the WTO Ministerial Conference

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    Outcomes of the WTO Ministerial Conference

    Recently, member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) wrapped up the Ministerial Conference’s twelfth outing (MC12).

    Key outcomes: “Geneva Package”

    • Relaxing patent regulations to achieve global vaccine equity
    • Ensuring food security
    • According subsidies to the fisheries sector
    • Continuing moratoriums relevant to e-commerce
    • Together they constitute what WTO Director-General is referred to as the “Geneva Package.”

    What is the WTO’s Ministerial Conference?

    • The MC is at the very top of WTO’s organisational chart.
    • It meets once every two years and can take decisions on all matters under any multilateral trade agreement.
    • All decisions at the WTO are made collectively and through consensus among member countries at varied councils and committees.

    Major debates at the MC12

    Agriculture

    • India is a significant contributor to the World Food Programme (WFP).
    • India had earlier stated that it had never imposed export restrictions for procurement under the programme.
    • It put forth that a blanket exemption could constrain its work in ensuring food security back home.
    • In such a situation, it would have to keep its WFP commitments irrespective of its domestic needs.
    • Negotiators could not reach agreements on issues such as permissible public stockholding threshold for domestic food security, domestic support to agriculture, cotton, and market access.

    Fisheries

    • India successfully managed to carve out an agreement on ELIMINATING subsidies to those engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
    • The only exception for continuing subsidies for overfished stock is when they are deemed essential to rebuild them to a biologically sustainable level.
    • Overfishing refers to exploiting fishes at a pace faster than they could replenish themselves — currently standing at 34% as per the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
    • Further, the agreements hold that there would be no limitation on subsidies by developing or least-developed countries for fishing within their exclusive economic zones (EEZ).

    Patent relaxations

    • Member countries agreed on authorising the use of a patent for producing COVID-19 vaccines by a member country, without the consent of the rights holder.
    • Further, it asks member countries to waive requirements, including export restrictions, set forth by WTO regulations to supply domestic markets and member countries with any number of vaccines.

     

     

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