WT/MIN(24)/16  
 
25 February 2024  
(24-1682) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
G-33 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON AGRICULTURE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS  
AT THE 13TH WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE  
G-33 MINISTERIAL MEETING, ABU DHABI, 25 FEBRUARY 2024  
The following statement, dated 25 February 202 4, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Indonesia on behalf of  the G-33. 
 
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1. We, Ministers and Representatives of the G -33 Members, met in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab 
Emirates, on 25 February 2024, on the sideline of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference,  to 
exchange views on the state of play of the WTO agriculture trade negotiations, and to 
deliberate the Group 's priorities on the outcome and the way forward.  
 
2. We recognize the collective responsibility of all WTO Members to address contemporary 
challenge s facing the multilateral trading system.  
 
3. We believe the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference provides an important opportunity to reinforce 
a rules -based, non -discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, equitable, and transparent multilateral 
trading system with the WTO at its core, and thank the United Arab Emirates for hosting the 
Conference.  
 
4. We, therefore, call on all WTO Members to engage constructively to achieve a meaningful 
outcome on agriculture at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.  
 
5. We are deeply concerned that almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished in 
2030, and hunger will increase significantly in Africa by 2030, as recently projected by the 
Food and Agriculture Organization of th e United Nations.  
 
6. We also regret serious lack of progress in agriculture trade negotiations, including to fulfil the 
outstanding mandates of previous Ministerial Conferences. Progress is key to restore trust 
between Members and preserve the credibility o f the WTO.  
 
7. The vast majority of the G -33 Members recognize the critical importance of public stockholding 
for food security purposes for developing country Members, including LDCs and NFIDCs, in 
meeting our food and livelihood security, as well as our ru ral development imperative, 
including supporting low income or resource poor producers.  
 
8. The G -33 co -sponsoring Members of the Proposal JOB/AG/229 , therefore, urge all Members to 
make all concerted efforts to agree and adopt a permanent solution on the issu e. The G -33 
co-sponsoring Members reiterate the importance of the Proposal JOB/AG/229  submitted with 
the African Group and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group, and invite other Members to 
engage constructively with the elements contained therein, as a basis to achieve outcome on 
public stockholding for food security purposes in the 1 3th WTO Ministerial Conference.  
 
9. We also reiterate developing country Members ' right to the Special Safeguard Mechanism 
(SSM) as an important instrument against major import surges or sudden price declines, and 
urge Members to agree and adopt a decision on  SSM by the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference.  WT/MIN(24)/16  
 
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10. We stand ready to consider the submission by the African Group on the issue of SSM, which 
covers most of the interests of developing country Members in a fair and balanced manner, 
and engage in enhanced techni cal discussions.  
 
11. We, therefore, affirm our commitment in moving forward agriculture trade negotiations in 
good faith, including after the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, with a view to correct the 
imbalances in the Agreement on Agriculture and address un paralleled food security challenges 
of developing country Members, including LDCs and NFIDCs.  
 
12. Finally, we strongly maintain that Special and Differential Treatment for developing country 
Members, including LDCs and NFIDCs, must be preserved in the WTO and  its agreements, and 
non-trade concerns of Members must always be taken into account in agriculture trade 
negotiations.  
 
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