WTO's Abu Dhabi MC13 extended on lack of consensus on key issues

The WTO's MC13 began on February 26 in Abu Dhabi

The World Trade Organization's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) has been extended by one day, until Friday March 1, in order to facilitate outcomes on the main issues at stake. The conference was earlier scheduled to end on February 29.

At the meeting of Heads of Delegation (HoDs) on February 28, WTO Director-General Okonjo-Iweala called on members to go the extra mile to find convergence on the various negotiations at the ministerial gathering and to be mindful that time is running out to conclude meaningful agreements.

One of the key outstanding issues are finding a resolution on the dispute settlement reform at MC13.

On February 28, Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, said that members may not be able to finish the work on dispute settlement reform at MC13. However, he said they should be able to take stock of the meaningful progress that has been made, recognise that more work is needed, and instruct Geneva officials to accelerate their work to achieve a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all by 2024, as ministers agreed at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022.

Restoring the WTO's Appellate Body, a dispute-settlement entity that has been out of action since December 2019, has been one of India's key demands at the ongoing MC13 in Abu Dhabi.

At a session in MC13 on February 28, India sought the immediate and effective formalisation of the informal Dispute Settlement reform process by rectifying existing defects.

Another issues on which differing views remain among members pertains to the moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions.

At MC13, on February 28, India asked WTO members to re-examine the implications of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, particularly for the developing nations and the least-developed countries.

New Delhi stressed that currently, a few firms based in developed countries dominate the global landscape of e-commerce creating a huge digital chasm between them and the developing nations. This makes it challenging to increase the participation of developing countries in global e-commerce.

Consensus is yet to be forged on the topic of fisheries subsidies as well, with 40 member-nations yet to agree, required to implement an agreement on this issue.

India again urged members of the WTO to allow developing countries and small economies to provide subsidies for the fisheries sector in a bid to protect the food security and livelihood security of their fishermen.

The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, adopted at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) on June 17, 2022, prohibited harmful fisheries subsidies, considered to be a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world’s fish stocks.

New Delhi also pushed for a moratorium on subsidies by Distant Water Fishing Nations for fishing or fishing-related activities beyond their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZs) for at least 25 years.

The WTO's MC13, which began on February 26 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), has ministers from across the world in attendance to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system.