(Geneva) The 164 member states of the WTO have managed to agree on a package of measures ranging from the elimination of fisheries subsidies, to the temporary lifting of patents on anti-COVID-19 vaccines, through food insecurity, an “unprecedented” result achieved after five days of intense negotiations.
Posted at 12:06 a.m.
It is “an unprecedented set of results. It has been a long time since the WTO has achieved so many multilateral results. The results demonstrate that the WTO is capable of responding to the emergencies of our time,” said WTO Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, addressing the heads of delegation of the organization’s 164 member countries.
However, the WTO did not immediately publish the final texts.
The conference aimed not only to tackle the food insecurity created by Russia, but also to remove subsidies that facilitate illegal fishing and drain the oceans, temporarily lift patents that protect anti-COVID-19 vaccines or further reform the WTO itself.
But when the meeting started on Sunday, the hope of concluding on all these subjects was slim, as the differences between delegations remained important. Mme Ngozi herself set the bar for success with the adoption of one or two texts.
The ministerial lasted almost 36 hours longer than expected. It was finally around 3 a.m. GMT that the Director General knocked down the hammer which marks the formal adoption of the texts.
Food insecurity
The text on food insecurity was eagerly awaited, although it is only a ministerial declaration.
The Russian-led war is depriving the world of grain and fertilizer, driving up prices and threatening millions of people around the world with hunger.
The adopted document emphasizes the importance of “not imposing export prohibitions or restrictions” that are contrary to WTO rules. It calls for any emergency measures introduced to address food security concerns, such as an export freeze, “to be temporary, targeted and transparent”, and to be notified to the WTO.
A second text protects food purchases by the World Food Program from restrictions that may be imposed by certain countries.
miraculous fishing
Until almost the last minute, the agreement on fishing remained uncertain, and even if the text is watered down compared to the initial ambitions, Mme Ngozi nonetheless claimed success.
It was one of the key topics of this ministerial. Negotiations on the subject were launched more than 20 years ago and are part of the UN’s sustainable development goals. In particular, it is a question of prohibiting certain forms of subsidies which may encourage illegal taking.
To help developing countries, the WTO wants to set up a fund to provide technical assistance and build their capacity so that these countries can implement the agreement and help their fishermen switch to more sustainable fishing. .
Intellectual property
After two and a half years of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, member states succeeded in agreeing on Friday on the facilitation of trade in medical goods necessary for the fight against pandemics. An important subject to prevent the trade of ingredients and materials from being restricted when they are most needed.
The temporary lifting of patents protecting anti-COVID-19 vaccines intended for developing countries was also adopted. This subject has been the subject of bitter battles between the pharmaceutical lobby, developing countries and numerous NGOs. The idea is to facilitate the production of serum.
The Member States have also renewed the moratorium on electronic transactions, despite the reluctance of India and South Africa, who regret seeing the customs potential of these exchanges escaping them.
India to coax
The five days of intense negotiations were marked by Indian intransigence on several issues, including subsidies that contribute to overfishing.
India’s Trade Minister, Piyush Goyal, presented as the obstacle to going around in circles by many delegations, maintained that his country “does not stand in the way of anything” but is a “consensus builder”.
“India has always been a reluctant trading partner. India is notorious for its reluctance to sign free trade agreements,” Harsh V. Pant, a professor at King’s College London, told AFP.