The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that it had approved, on Friday June 17, in Geneva agreements ” historical on fishing, the lifting of anti-Covid-19 patents and food insecurity. ” It’s been a long time since the WTO has had so many results “, indicated its general manager.
After several days of intense negotiations, marked by many uncertainties and India’s intransigence on several texts, the negotiators finally agreed, announced the President of the Ministerial Conference Timur Suleimenov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the President from Kazakhstan. The ministerial lasted almost 36 hours longer than expected. It was finally around 3 a.m. UT that the Director General knocked down the hammer which marks the formal adoption of the texts.
The WTO, ” able to respond to emergencies »
This meeting aimed not only to tackle the food insecurity created by Russia, but it also wanted to remove subsidies that facilitate overfishing and empty the oceans, temporarily lift patents that protect anti-Covid vaccines or even reform the WTO itself. This is ” an unprecedented set of results. It has been a long time since the WTO has achieved so many multilateral results. The results demonstrate that the WTO is capable of responding to the urgencies of our time declared WTO director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, before the heads of delegation of the organization’s 164 member countries.
The text on food insecurity emphasizes the importance “ not to impose export prohibitions or restrictions which are contrary to WTO rules. It asks that any emergency measures introduced to address food security concerns, such as an export freeze, ” are temporary, targeted and transparent and be notified to the WTO. A second text protects food purchases by the World Food Program from restrictions that may be imposed by certain countries. Until almost the last minute, the fisheries agreement remained uncertain. To help developing countries, the WTO wants to set up a fund to provide technical assistance and build their capacity so that these countries can implement the agreement and help their fishermen switch to more sustainable fishing. . Finally, after two and a half years of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, the Member States have succeeded in agreeing on the facilitation of trade in medical goods necessary for the fight against pandemics. An important subject to prevent the trade of ingredients and materials from being restricted when they are most needed. The temporary lifting of patents protecting anti-Covid-19 vaccines intended for developing countries was also adopted.
” You really earned your salary »
However, the WTO did not immediately publish the final texts. ” Today you really earned your salary “, launched Ms. Ngozi to the ambassadors. After these long hours of negotiations, she admitted that she no longer really knew ” where i am and where i am sitting “. But, despite the fatigue, she has already called on the delegations to keep up the momentum.
“ We still have work ahead of us. I could see what we are capable of “, she continued. Two countries have already offered to organize the next ministerial conference – Cameroon and the United Arab Emirates – which should take place at the end of 2023, announced Mr Suleimenov.
(with AFP)
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