Countries fight hard for declaration as WTO talks come to a close

BUENOS AIRES: Countries are trying hard to clinch a last minute declaration at the ongoing Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization as the US continues to play spoilsport in reaffirming the very tenets of multilateralism.

In the constantly changing scenario here, a declaration looks highly unlikely and work programmes only on a few issues are expected.

Work programmes are the guiding principles for an issue to move forward by the next ministerial while a ministerial declaration is a text with legal sanctity. In case a declaration is not there, it’s replaced by the chair’s statement which sums up the negotiations and the road ahead. The chair’s summary is not legally binding.


The first draft of the ministerial declaration circulated a sometime ago failed to mention the Doha Development Agenda due to the US’ objection but only had an indirect reference to it through the Nairobi ministerial declaration which said that the house was divided on continuation of
Doha issues.

Ruling out the possibility of a ministerial declaration, an official said that even a work programme on agriculture is unlikely meaning that the existing peace clause continues and India’s quest to find a permanent solution to the public stockholding issue rolls over to the next ministerial in 2019.

“The US is reluctant to go along with a majority of members to mention Doha development agend in the mandate,” said China’s trade envoy to the WTO ambassador Xiangchen Zhang.

A work programme on fisheries is final which doesn’t talk of an interim solution. Similarly, a work programme on e-commerce is unchanged as the last few years.

India wanted to get a permanent solution in the current ministerial as per the WTO mandate, over and above the existing peace clause to give stronger legal strength to its programme to purchase, stockpile and distribute food.

However, the US’ stance that it would not allow any outcome on agriculture, proved to be a dealbreaker.

The existing perpetual peace clause that India secured in 2014, continues to provide it with the cover wherein no country can take legal action against it if it fails to limit its public procurement of foodgrains such as wheat and rice to within 10% of the value of the crop as mandated by the WTO.

Moreover, it also wanted a change in the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), the WTO agreement that covers dispute settlement.