G-33 calls for progress on agricultural trade ahead of WTO Ministerial Conference

The G-33, a coalition of developing countries with India as a prominent member, urged the WTO to advance agriculture trade negotiations at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) will hold its 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) from February 26 to 29, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This high-level gathering will bring together trade ministers from across the globe to evaluate the functioning of the multilateral trading system and chart the future course of the WTO.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade, will chair the conference. The Indian delegation will be led by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Ahead of the meeting, the G-33, a coalition of developing countries with India as a prominent member, urged the WTO to advance agriculture trade negotiations at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.

The group expressed concerns about the lack of progress, particularly regarding food security challenges faced by developing nations. They emphasized the urgency for action, citing the Food and Agriculture Organization’s projection of nearly 600 million people facing chronic hunger by the year 2030.

The G-33 called for a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes, underscoring the importance of their co-sponsored proposal submitted alongside other African and Caribbean groups. They urged the members to engage constructively and adopt this proposal during the conference.

The group also stressed the significance of the Special Safeguard Mechanism for developing countries to shield themselves from import surges and price declines. They urged members to reach a decision regarding the special Safeguard Mechanism by the next Ministerial Conference.

The group also highlighted the necessity to preserve special treatment for developing countries and consider non-trade concerns in future negotiations.

The 13th WTO Ministerial Conference presents an important opportunity for WTO members to address critical issues in the global trading system, notably agriculture trade and food security. The G-33 comprises 47 countries and is a coalition of developing nations advocating for flexibility to undertake limited market opening in agriculture, with India, China, and Indonesia among its members.