RESTRICTED  
  
WT/GC/W/848, G/AG/W/220  
TN/AG/53, WT/COMTD/W/267  
 
3 June 2022  
(22-4269) Page: 1/2 
General Council  
Committee on Agriculture  
Committee on Agriculture - Special Session  
Committee on Trade and Development  Original: English  
 
 
MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON THE WTO RESPONSE TO THE FOOD SECURITY CRISIS  
A PROPOSAL BY SRI LANKA  
The following proposal, dated 3 June 2022, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of 
Sri Lanka . 
 
_______________  
 
 
The Ministerial Conference , 
 
Having regard to  paragraph  1 of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade  
Organization , 
 
Recognizing  the global shocks impacting the food security of WTO Members,  
 
Concerned that the prices of foodstuffs and fertilizer have risen sharply and about the instability of 
global agricultural markets,   
 
Acknowledging  with grave concern the volatility that food insecurity will have on developing 
countries, in particular NFIDCs and LDCs,  
 
Noting  the challenges with access, affordability, and financing, espe cially for NFIDCs and LDCs,  
 
Acknowledging efforts by international and regional financial institutions towards ensuring policy 
coherence to address the food security crisis,  
 
Reaffirming  the importance of an immediate WTO response to the food security c risis, 
 
Decides  as follows:  
 
1. With a view to stabilizing global agricultural markets during the food security crisis, we agree 
to undertake the commitments in Paragraphs 2 to 8 of this Declaration.   
 
2. We commit to urgently work together to ensure that suff icient, safe, affordable and nutritious 
food continues to be available and accessible at all times to all people, including the poorest 
and most vulnerable people.  
 
3. We reaffirm our commitment to adopt a permanent solution on PSH.  
 
4. We reaffirm Article XI.2 (a) of the GATT 1994 and the implementation of Article 12 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture including Special and Differential Treatment under Article 12.2 of 
the Agreement of Agriculture.  
 
5. We agree to include a standing agenda item in the Committee on Agric ulture  on "consideration 
of effects of export restrictions on food security " for Members to raise concerns regarding 
export restrictions on their food security, in particular the impact on NFIDCs and LDCs, with a 
view to resolving these concerns.  WT/GC/W/848 • G/AG/W/220 • TN/AG/53 • WT/COMTD/W/267  
 
- 2 - 
 
   
6. When applying export restrictions on foodstuffs during the food security crisis, Members shall 
endeavour to prioriti ze exports to NFIDCs and LDCs.  
 
7. We invite the World Food Programme to report regularly to the Committee on Agriculture on 
its purchases of foodstuffs on a Member basis including the amounts exempted from export 
restrictions.  
 
8. Members commit to favourably consider requests by a developing country Member, especially 
by NFIDCs or LDCs, to release relevant foodstuffs for exports to t hem from stocks of relevant 
foodstuffs owned or controlled by a Member [including stocks maintained under public 
stockholding programmes for food security purposes]. Such requests may be accommodated 
by releasing such food stocks in fully grant form and/or  appropriate concessional terms in 
accordance with Article 5 of the Food Assistance Convention of 2012.  
 
9. We agree to ensure freedom of transit of foodstuffs and fertilizer, in particular when destined 
for NFIDCs and LDCs. We also agree to keep flows of pay ments open and predictable for 
exports of foodstuffs and fertilizer.  
 
10. We commit to increase support for the provision of technical and financial assistance to 
developing country Members including through international and regional financial institutions 
with a view to improving their agricultural productive capacity, infrastructure and access to 
agricultural inputs.  
 
11. We shall develop recommendations by 2023 for an international compensatory financing 
mechanism on concessionary terms for food imports of NFID Cs and LDCs.  
 
12. We will agree on any further measures in response to the current food security crisis by 2023, 
if necessary.  
 
 
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