WTO Informal Meeting to be
Held in 19-20 March – 50 Countries Expected to Attend
A two-day brainstorming meeting on WTO in the Post-MC11 Phase was organised by the Department of Commerce and the Centre for
WTO Studies on 19-20 February 2018. The participants included representatives
from industry, government, academia, think tanks, civil society and trade
policy experts.
The objective of organising this 2-day
brainstorming was to consult as widely as possible to elicit views on the WTO
in the post-MC11 phase. The agenda was comprehensive, covering a wide range of
issues such as Agriculture, Services, Investment Facilitation, E-commerce,
Institutional Issues, Development, MSMEs and Gender.
The meeting witnessed large participation and a frank and
intensive exchange of views on all issues, both in the current negotiating
agenda of the WTO as well as the issues being proposed for future negotiations
by some countries.
In his remarks, the Commerce and Industry Minister expressed great
satisfaction at the depth and breadth of issues discussed and the insights
provided by the participants. He emphasised that
special and differential treatment remains a critical aspect of the WTO's
framework and this is non-negotiable for India. While some of the new issues
being raised by others may also be of relevance to India, existing issues such
as agriculture are critical livelihood issues, which are extremely important
for India.
He emphasised the critical importance of
the WTO and drew attention to Hon'ble Prime Minister's remarks at Davos on the
importance of multilateralism. Reflecting on India's long membership of
GATT/WTO, the Minister stated that India plays a key role in ensuring the
continued relevance of the WTO, as this is in the best interest of all
countries, without exception.
In this context he highlighted the importance India places on the
forthcoming informal WTO Ministerial gathering scheduled to be held in Delhi on
19th and 20th March
2018, on India's initiative, which is likely to be attended by over 50
countries representing the entire spectrum of nations ranging from LDCs,
developing countries to the developed countries.
Appreciating the enthusiastic engagement by participants, the
Minister said that such interactions would be organised
regularly.