India wants WTO mechanism to ensure development issues are not ignored

India has proposed an institutional mechanism at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to keep a check on actions taken on decisions in favour of developing countries and ensure that the development issues are not lost sight of.

In a submission, New Delhi said that the WTO's key committee responsible for work on development and issues relating to the trade of developing countries, is unable to deliver on its mandate.

As per the submission, a lack of institutional mechanism, within the WTO, as regards the continuous review by the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) of participation of developing country members is impeding it from acting as a focal point for development, as envisaged.


"As a result, CTD is not able to deliver on its overarching mandate of focal point on development," India said.

It proposed an institutional mechanism for sharing of information by other WTO bodies on development related work to CTD, and co-ordination between the CTD and other committees.

Besides continuously reviewing participation of developing members in multilateral trading system, the CTD should highlight challenges, measures and initiatives and report regularly to the General Council in a structured manner on the development function for appropriate action.

India also told the WTO General Council last month that such a move would make sure there is a proper repository of development discussions in the WTO at a single place and CTD acts as a catalyst for ensuring discussion.

However, it clarified that such a mechanism will not usurp upon the powers of any of the bodies of WTO but only consult and coordinate, ensure that the discussions on the issues would continue to happen in relevant bodies and be the custodian of some of the information which can work as institutional memory.