13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of World Trade Organization to begin today in Abu Dhabi

The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of World Trade Organization (WTO) will begin today in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This high-level gathering will bring together trade ministers from across the globe to evaluate the functioning of the multilateral trading system and chart the future course of the WTO. The Indian delegation will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

Ahead of the meeting, the G-33, a coalition of developing countries with India as a prominent member, urged the WTO to advance agriculture trade negotiations at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.

The group expressed concerns about the lack of progress, particularly regarding food security challenges faced by developing nations.

They emphasized the urgency for action, citing the Food and Agriculture Organization's projection of nearly 600 million people facing chronic hunger by the year 2030.

The G-33 called for a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes, underscoring the importance of their



co-sponsored proposal submitted alongside other African and Caribbean groups. They urged the members to engage constructively and adopt this proposal during the conference.

The group also stressed the significance of the Special Safeguard Mechanism for developing countries to shield themselves from import surges and price declines. They urged members to reach a decision regarding the special Safeguard Mechanism by the next Ministerial Conference.

They G 33 also highlighted the necessity to preserve special treatment for developing countries and consider non-trade concerns in future negotiations. The 13th WTO Ministerial Conference presents an important opportunity for WTO members to address critical issues in the global trading system, notably agriculture trade and food security.

The G-33 comprises 47 countries and is a coalition of developing nations advocating for flexibility to undertake limited market opening in agriculture, with India, China, and Indonesia among its members.