India, Pak join hands at WTO against attempt for facilitator-led farm talks

India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have raised concerns at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on attempts to appoint facilitators to oversee the resumption of the stalled agriculture negotiations.

At a meeting of the committee on agriculture on Wednesday, India rejected the facilitator-led approach, which is based on "convergence" instead of the WTO's tenet of consensus, and said that trust deficit is a major reason for agriculture talks not moving forward.

Under the proposed facilitator-led process, facilitators appointed by the chair of the agriculture negotiations would guide the discussions on various topics. New Delhi believes that such a process undermines ministerial mandates.


"The three members expressed concerns about the facilitator-led process, citing a lack of clear consensus among members and insisted that members adhere to formal negotiation channels," said a Geneva-based official.

In a communication to the WTO last month, they proposed that agriculture negotiations on mandated issues like permanent stockholding, special safeguard mechanism and cotton should take place in the committee on agriculture in an "accelerated timeframe for an early decision and adoption, through an open, inclusive and transparent process, as per the mandate".

"On other pillars-domestic support, market access and export competition-the modalities of a facilitator-led process can be discussed further to reach a consensus," they said.

The three have said that there was no consensus on the proposal to appoint facilitators at either the informal heads of delegations or formal trade negotiations committee meetings held in October.

Referring to a WTO communication dated October 22, inviting nominations from members for facilitators, they said invariably commencing the facilitator-led process in the agriculture negotiations sets a concerning precedent for the functioning of the WTO.

"Any decision affecting the WTO's processes or negotiations needs to adhere to established formal procedures within the appropriate bodies, ensuring that all members can participate under clear and transparent rules," the three South Asian countries told the WTO.

Earlier, the African Group had said that the consensus of WTO members is required to approve a proposal to institute a facilitator-led process in the agriculture negotiations.