WTO Plans to Extend Meet as Talks Deadlocked

[ABS News Service/15.06.2022]

Hours before the close of the WTO ministerial meeting, the multilateral agency’s chief Ngozi OkonjoIweala has proposed to extend the deliberations by a day as talks are deadlocked on multiple fronts — from patent waiver to agriculture and fisheries subsidies — setting the stage for intense negotiations later at night.

The meeting was scheduled to end on Wednesday.

The UK and Switzerland are holding a patent waiver for vaccines, arguing they were not properly consulted on the issue that concerns several large pharma companies, that their governments are accused of protecting at the cost of lives in poor African nations. South Africa, a co-sponsor to the proposal, too is holding firm on getting a better deal, while India wants negotiators to provide TRIPS waiver for drugs and devices.

Goyal said countries such as Egypt and Sri Lanka, have rejected the draft on food security, despite the shortages faced by them.

There are concerns in developed country groups India may not agree to a moratorium on e-commerce, which will result in taxation of transactions.