Battlelines are clearly getting drawn between the developed and developing countries as 164 Trade Ministers from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) prepare for the official launch of the Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC 11) in Buenos Aires late Sunday evening.
“Since yesterday, we have had good discussions with a number of developing countries, including the G-33 group in agriculture. We will continue to have meetings with many other countries. The idea is to be on a common platform so that when we finally push for our agenda there will be enough support for us,” Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu told the media.
On a common platformOn Saturday, Suresh Prabhu attended a close-group get-together organised by the South Centre with more than 20 developing-country delegations, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cuba and Bolivia to examine their common positions.
The Minister, on Sunday, also held a lunch for key developing countries, including those from South Asia, China, South Africa and other African countries, including Kenya, Egypt, Benin and Burkina Faso.
“It was encouraging to note that there was a congruence of positions on all important issues such as domestic support on agriculture, e-commerce, investment facilitation, MSMEs and domestic regulation on services,” a Commerce Ministry official said.
Prabhu, however, cautioned that the exact positions would emerge over the next two days in the discussions between heads of States and the five discussion groups. “That is when we will know exactly the distances to be covered,” he said.
Prabhu also met the EU Trade Commissioner on Sunday and is scheduled to meet the Chinese Trade Minister.
The five discussion groups include ones on agriculture, e-commerce, fisheries subsidies, development issues and services.
Five discussion areasA number of developing countries, including India and the G-33 group led by Indonesia, want an agreement on a satisfactory permanent solution for public stockholding programmes and special safeguard measures (SSMs) to allow developing countries protect farmers against import surges by raising import duties beyond caps.
On public stockholding, India has said that the permanent solution needs to be better than the existing ‘peace clause’ which comes with a number of riders. It wants that subsidies for Minimum Support Price should be allowed without the present 10 per cent cap and less onerous notification requirements.
In the area of e-commerce and investment facilitation, India is opposed to negotiations on rules.
The Central government has also said no to negotiations on domestic regulations on services but is open to a work programme which also includes elements from its proposal on Trade Facilitation in Services.
In the area of disciplining fisheries subsidies, India is agreeable to a work programme but no immediate commitment on lowering IUU (illegal, unregulated, unreported) subsidies.
The negotiations at Buenos Aires will go on till December 13.