WT/GC/W/847, G/AG/W/219  
TN/AG/52, WT/COMTD/W/266  
 
1 June 2022  
(22-4197) Page: 1/2 
General Council  
Committee on Agriculture  
Committee on Agriculture - Special Session  
Committee on Trade and Development  
 Original: English  
 
DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECISION  
WTO RESPONSE TO FOOD INSECURITY IN NFIDCS AND LDCS  
The following communication, dated 1 June 2022, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Egypt  on behalf of the Arab, Africa n and LDC Groups.  
 
 
_______________  
 
 
Committed  to maintain the rules -based, transparent, non -discriminatory, open and inclusive 
multilateral trading system as embodied in the World Trade Organization (WTO), and enshrined in 
the Marrakesh Agreement,  
 
Recalling  the commitments contained in the Ministerial Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible 
Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least -developed and Net Food -importing Developing 
Countries (referred to as Marrakesh D ecision of April 1994), and the reaffirmation of Members ' 
commitments to the full implementation of the Marrakesh Decision in Paragraph 25 of Nairobi 
Declaration ; 
 
Recalling  the Ministerial Decision of 14 November 2001 on Implementation -related Issues and 
Concerns on, inter alia , commitment levels of food aid, provision of food aid by donors, technical 
and financial assistance in the context of aid programmes to improve agricultural productivity and 
infrastructure, and financing normal levels of commercial imports of basic foodstuffs ; 
 
Concerned  about the rising food prices and food insecurity as a result of the combined effects of the 
global pandemic and the geopolitical challenges ; 
 
Also concerned  that such price spikes, which have regularly and increasingly threatened the food 
security of our citizens, are likely to occur again in the future, particularly in light of the expected 
effects of climate change and other factors ; 
 
Reaffirming  our commitment, that effective and appropriate special and differential treatment for 
developing countries an d LDCs is an integral part of current and future WTO agreements ; 
 
Affirming  the need to adopt concrete decisions in support of adequate trade responses to mitigate 
food insecurity risks in situations of global food market price spikes and volatility ; 
 
We, Ministers with portfolio responsibility for World Trade Organization (WTO) affairs, having met in 
Geneva, Switzerland at our Twelfth Session:  
 
Having regard to paragraph 1 of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade 
Organization,  we decide as follows:  
  
1. Improve the operational effectiveness of the aforementioned Marrakesh Decision of April 1994 
through a work program to be agreed at the relevant WTO bodies. This work program should, inter 
alia, include:  WT/GC/W/847 • G/AG/W/219 • TN/AG/52 • WT/COMTD/W/266  
 
- 2 - 
 
   
a. Understanding, before t he end of 2022, the trade related aspects of an international 
compensatory financing mechanism to finance normal levels of food imports of NFIDCs 
and LDCs, to help maintain normal levels of quantities of imports in the face of price 
shocks;  
b. investigating and discussing the impacts that the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition 
might have had on the import bills of NFIDCs and LDCs;  
c. exploring the possibility of developing rules to exempt purchases of NFIDCs and LDCs, 
under conditions to be defined, from qu antitative export restrictions invoked under Article 
XI.2(a) of the GATT 1994 by other WTO Members, which are major exporters of the specific 
foodstuffs concerned;  
d. Preserving or extending the policy space for NFIDCs and LDCs under Article 6.2 of the 
Agree ment on Agriculture, for them to pursue their rural development, agricultural 
transformation and livelihood objectives.  
2. Members agree to refrain from challenging through the WTO dispute Settlement Mechanism, 
compliance of the NFIDCs & LDCs with their ob ligations under article 6.4 of the Agreement on 
Agriculture, in relation to support that exceeds the percentages specified in this article, insofar as 
this support is non or minimally trade distortive and aims to secure additional staple food crops 
necessa ry for its food security. This should enter into force the day following the conclusion of the 
MC12 and shall remain in force for a period of four years.  
 
3. Paragraph 2 of this decision should be automatically invoked for a given staple food crop 
imported  by a Net Food Importing Developing Country or a Least Developed Country when, for a 
month, the average monthly global price for that product1 exceeds the five year Olympic average of 
the monthly global prices2 by 20%.  
 
 
__________  
 
1 Either the FAO Food Price Indices or price indicators in any two major global export markets for the 
relevant product may be used by the NFIDC/LDC Member for this purpose. The choice of index/indicator by the 
NFIDC/LDC Member concerned shall not be disputed by other Members . 
2 When global prices are being used as the relevant price indicator.