WTO / Road to MC 13 Paved with Contention

 As the World Trade Organization's (WTO) 13th ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi approaches, members remain divided on key deliverables. The United States is seeking informal discussions on the contentious issue of dispute settlement body (DSB) reform instead of text-based negotiations. Meanwhile, countries such as China, the European Union, Indonesia, and others are pressing for text-based negotiations after July, sources familiar with the discussions said.

The US proposals on DSB reform introduce new ideas for a single-tier dispute settlement body without the Appellate Body, which Washington argues has deviated from the dispute settlement understanding. Members have differing priorities in agriculture, with some countries focusing on mandated issues and others on food security or insecurity.

Indonesia, the coordinator for the G-33 group, delivered a strong statement on agriculture and special and differential treatment, urging the resolution of mandated outcomes contained in the Doha Development Agenda. Several members also called for resolving the impasse on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) involving the 12th ministerial conference decision to extend the decision on vaccines to diagnostics and therapeutics.

Countries like South Africa and India have suggested terminating the e-commerce moratorium, while least-developed countries (LDCs) have pressed for a decision on extending specific flexibilities currently granted to LDCs for graduating members for a considerable period.

On fisheries subsidies, members have adopted different views on how to proceed in the next eight months leading up to the 13th ministerial meeting. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has called for countries to submit their letters of acceptance for the protocol attached to the partial fisheries subsidies agreement involving disciplines for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and addressing the depletion of fish stocks.

Okonjo-Iweala also highlighted the deceleration in global trade growth and its long-term impact on living standards and opportunities worldwide. Emphasizing the need for global cooperation, she said, "As the multilateral organization providing the framework for trade relations among 164 members, it is our responsibility to contribute solutions to economic challenges the world is confronting."

The Director-General warned against continuing technical work indefinitely and urged members to genuinely start negotiating on substance for the 13th ministerial meeting. She asserted, "The onus is on you to deliver."