Lok Sabha Question No. 628 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Ministerial Conference of WTO
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: K. Subbarayan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 628 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 th  JULY, 2022

## MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF WTO

## 628.   SHRI SUBBARAYAN K.:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India has attended the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) held in Geneva in June this year;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  main  issues  raised in  the Conference by  India and other developing countries and the outcome thereof; and
- (c) the  details  of  India's  position  on  food  security  and  fisheries  during  the  said Conference along with the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

- (a) : Yes, Sir.
- (b) : At the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)  the  issues  on  which  a  consensus-based  decision  was  reached  after negotiations  were  adopted  as  Ministerial  decisions  and  declarations.  The  main issues raised by India and other developing countries included public stockholding for food security purposes, WTO reforms, Custom duties on e-Commerce, TRIPS waiver for Covid-19 pandemic and Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) in fisheries subsidies and other areas.

The outcomes of the MC12 were: (a) Decision to reinvigorate the work under the Work Programme on e-Commerce (WPEC) and extension of the moratorium on custom duties on electronic transmissions, latest by 31 March, 2024 (b) Declaration on  the  WTO  Response  to  the  Covid-19  Pandemic  and  preparedness  for  future Pandemics  (c)  Decision  on  TRIPS  Agreement  (d)  Agreement  on  disciplining

fisheries  subsidies  (e)  Decision  on  exempting  World  Food  Programme  (WFP) humanitarian  food  purchases  from  export  prohibitions  or  restrictions  and  (f) Declaration  on  the  emergency  response  to  food  insecurity.  Further,  an  Outcome Document of MC12 was also adopted, which, inter alia, includes working towards WTO  reform.  In  addition,  the  MC12  adopted  (a)  Work  Programme  on  Small Economies (b) TRIPS non-violation and situation complaints and (c) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Declaration.

- (c) : The MC12 of the WTO concluded with, inter alia, a declaration on food insecurity and an agreement on fisheries subsidies.

Food security is a priority issue for India. Based on earlier decisions at the WTO, India's  public  stockholding  programmes  continue  to  be  protected  by  a  'peace clause' which is available till a permanent solution is reached. India accordingly seeks a  permanent solution for public stockholding but at the same time ensuring that our interests in all agriculture areas are protected.

The MC12 outcome on food security is a decision regarding exemption of World Food  Programme  (WFP)  purchases  from  export  prohibitions  or  restrictions. However, this decision shall not prevent the adoption by any Member of measures to  ensure  its  domestic  food  security  in  accordance  with  the  relevant  WTO agreements.

In order to set right the imbalance in the high subsidies given by advanced fishing nations and to achieve equity, India proposed no prohibition on subsidies granted by developing countries for low income, resource poor or livelihood fishing related activities up to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a sufficiently long transition period for future fishing or fishing-related activities, including distant water fishing, the need to incorporate 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility' (CBDR) and 'polluter pays' principle. India also sought S&DT in fisheries subsidies.

The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies agreed at the MC12 will prohibit subsidies being  provided  for  Illegal,  Unreported  and  Unregulated  (IUU)  fishing  and overfished  stocks.  As  S&DT,  developing  countries,  including  Least  Developed Countries (LDCs), have been allowed additional transition period of two years after the entry in to force of the Agreement. The Agreement also prohibits subsidies in high  seas,  which  are  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  coastal  countries  and  Regional Fisheries Management Organizations/ Arrangements (RFMO/As).

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