India to push development-focused agenda at WTO Ministerial meet
New Delhi, March 25
India will adopt a constructive, balanced and development-oriented approach at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference -- scheduled to be held from March 26-29 in Yaounde, Cameroon, the government said on Wednesday.
India's delegation will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, along with senior officials, technical experts and representatives from various ministries.
The discussion will focus on WTO reform, the e-commerce work programme and moratorium, investment facilitation for development (IFD), fisheries subsidies, and issues related to agriculture and development.
"India's engagement at MC14 will remain constructive, balanced, and development-oriented," the ministry stated.
"India will continue to support meaningful WTO reform aimed at strengthening the multilateral trading system, while keeping development concerns at its core," the ministry added.
The country will highlight the need to protect food security, safeguard the livelihoods of small farmers and fishers, and maintain policy flexibility for developing economies, especially in emerging areas like digital trade.
India has also stressed the importance of a fair, open and inclusive trading system based on non-discrimination principles.
"India has reiterated the principle of non-discrimination as foundational to the WTO framework, as reflected in the Marrakesh Agreement," the ministry explained.
On fisheries subsidies, India is expected to push for a balanced approach that addresses sustainability while protecting the interests of small fishers.
It has also argued that countries engaged in large-scale distant water fishing should take on greater responsibility.
"With regard to the e-commerce moratorium, India has highlighted the rapidly evolving nature of the digital economy, particularly in the context of emerging technologies, and the need for policy space to enable countries to effectively harness these developments," it stated.
"India's FTAs remain aligned with WTO principles and reflect its commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system. Several FTA negotiations are currently underway with partner countries," the ministry noted.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The focus on policy space for digital trade is smart. We can't let developed nations set all the rules for e-commerce while our domestic startups are still growing. Need to protect our digital sovereignty.
While the development focus is commendable, I hope the delegation also pushes for tangible outcomes. Past meetings have seen a lot of talk but limited action on actual subsidy reforms. The proof will be in the final agreement.
Finally someone is calling out the distant water fishing nations! They deplete global fish stocks and then lecture us on sustainability. India's balanced approach on fisheries is spot on. Jai Hind!
The principle of non-discrimination is key. Hope Minister Goyal holds firm. Our trade policies must serve our national interest first, especially for food security. Good to see a clear agenda.
Interesting to see how India positions itself as a bridge between developed and developing economies. The "constructive and balanced" line suggests diplomacy, but the core issues like agriculture subsidies will be the real test.
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