Argiculture
US
cherry-picking MC11 outcomes, holds Members hostage
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 20 November 2017)
The
United States continues to cherry-pick outcomes for the World Trade
Organization's eleventh ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires next month.
US
addressing outcome on PSH at MC11
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 10 November 2017)
The
United States has begun to address an outcome for the permanent solution
for public stockholding programs for food security at the upcoming
World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires (MC11).
Argentina's
desperate effort to avert failure of MC11
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 7 November 2017)
In
a desperate attempt to save its "South American" face, and
despite a categorical NO from the United States to any outcome on
domestic support at the upcoming World Trade Organization ministerial
meeting in Buenos Aires (MC11), Argentina on Thursday (2 November)
issued a draft ministerial decision for further consideration, trade
envoys told SUNS.
A
new vice-chair, consultations to intensify on organisation of MC11
(Kanaga
Raja, Geneva, 30 October 2017)
With
less than seven weeks to go for the eleventh Ministerial Conference
of the WTO, the Chair of the General Council, Ambassador Xavier Carim
of South Africa, is holding intensified consultations and meetings
on the organization of MC11 and the kind of outcome document members
would like to see coming out of MC11.
Moves
for permanent solution for PSH for MC11 ministers
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 24 October 2017)
With
about seven weeks to go for the eleventh Ministerial conference (MC11)
in Buenos Aires, attempts appear to be currently under way at the
WTO to push the major unresolved issues of the mandated permanent
solution for public stockholding (PSH) programs for developing countries
to the wire and for trade ministers of major nations to finalise an
outcome at MC11.
US
NO to Cotton-four, but China-India welcome proposal
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 17 October 2017)
The
United States on Friday struck a body blow to the four poorest countries
(C-4) - Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad - in West Africa, rejecting
their demand for a decision on substantial cuts in cotton subsidies
by 70 per cent, at the upcoming World Trade Organization's eleventh
ministerial meeting (MC11) in Buenos Aires, trade envoys told SUNS.
Consensus
eludes trade ministers at Marrakesh
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 16 October 2017)
The
just-concluded informal trade ministerial summit in Marrakesh on 10
October brought into sharp focus the linkages between fisheries subsidies
and improvements in the Doha trade remedy rules, and between the permanent
solution for public stockholding programs and domestic support.
CSOs
urge WTO Members to abandon expansionist agenda
(Kanaga
Raja, Geneva, 10 October 2017)
Some
300 civil society organisations (CSOs) from more than 150 countries
have raised the alarm that some members of the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) are "pushing a dangerous and inappropriate new agenda"
in the run-up to the WTO's eleventh ministerial conference (MC11)
in Buenos Aires beginning on 10 December.
"Will
not pay for mandated permanent solution for PSH", insist G33
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva , 20 September 2017)
Indonesia,
India, China, and other members of the G33 group made clear categorically
on Friday (15 September) that they will not pay for the mandated permanent
solution for public stockholding programs for food security in the
developing countries at the upcoming World Trade Organization's eleventh
ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires, several trade envoys told SUNS.
Argentina's
"authoritarian" MC11 agenda views rile South nations
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 18 September 2017)
Argentina,
which is hosting the World Trade Organization's eleventh ministerial
meeting in Buenos Aires from 10 December, has warned members to drop
proposals for MC11, such as the elimination of most trade-distorting
domestic subsidies - the Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) -
proposed by China and India, on grounds that it will lead to the breakdown
of the conference, sources told SUNS.
PSH
with several caveats a priority for MC11, says agri-chair
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 11 September 2017)
The
chair for Doha agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Stephen Karau
of Kenya, has said that the permanent solution for public stockholding
programs for food security purposes (PSH) in developing countries
remains "a priority issue" for the World Trade Organization's
eleventh ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires beginning on 10 December.
South
call for credible results, including on PSH & SSM at MC11
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 27 July 2017)
The
developing countries, individually and along with their coalitions
on Tuesday called for credible results based on the Doha work program,
including the permanent solution for public stockholding programs
for food security, at the World Trade Organization's eleventh ministerial
meeting in Buenos Aires in December, trade envoys told SUNS.
Brazil
joins hands with EU, strikes death blow to G20
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 19 July 2017)
Brazil
has finally struck a death blow to the G20 coalition of developing
countries that it had created in 2003 for reforming the global agriculture,
after joining hands with its erstwhile foe - the European Union -
for tabling a proposal on domestic support. The proposal leaves the
two big subsidizers - the United States and the EU - in the industrialized
world almost untouched, several trade envoys told SUNS.
South
nations for ending AMS, cuts in "green box" in agriculture
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 17 July 2017)
Major
developing countries on Wednesday (12 July) called for the elimination
of Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) as well as significant reduction
commitments of minimally trade-distorting green box programs in the
developed countries in the ongoing Doha agriculture negotiations at
the World Trade Organization, trade envoys told SUNS.
EU
and Brazil oppose end to "green box" cotton payments
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 6 July 2017)
The
European Union and Brazil opposed the elimination of a range of green
box direct payments for cotton as demanded by the Cotton-4 countries
- Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad - in the unresolved Doha agriculture
negotiations at the WTO.
Prospects
for any Doha agri accords at MC11 bleak
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 29 June 2017)
The
African Group of countries, particularly the Cotton-four - Benin,
Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad - are going to be left high and dry at
the World Trade Organization's eleventh ministerial meeting (MC11)
at Buenos Aires in December without any outcomes on their main demands
for reducing the domestic support in agriculture by the developed
countries, sources told SUNS.
South
stress food security and SSM outcomes at MC11
(Kanaga
Raja, Geneva, 7 June 2017)
A
number of developing countries, at dedicated sessions of the WTO agriculture
negotiations last week, stressed on the importance of a permanent
solution for public stockholding programmes for food security as well
as an effective Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), and for meaningful
outcomes on these issues at the eleventh WTO ministerial conference
in Buenos Aires this December.
Permanent
solution for PSH seems unlikely at MC11
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 1 June 2017)
Major
developed nations, and some of their allies in the South are refusing
to engage in substantive discussions on the mandated permanent solution
for public stockholding programmes for food security, and a successful
outcome is unlikely at the WTO's eleventh ministerial meeting in Buenos
Aires in December.
Positions
unchanged on public stockholding, SSM, HOD told
(Kanaga
Raja, Geneva, 10 May 2017)
An
informal Heads of Delegation meeting at the World Trade Organization
on Monday showed that members remain sharply divided on the key issues
and possible deliverables at MC11 in Buenos Aires, with a large majority
of developing countries insisting that the focus should be based on
the Doha Work Programme and Nairobi Ministerial decisions, and not
on any new issues like E-commerce or investment facilitation.
G33
insist on unambiguous outcomes at MC11 on food security
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 28 April 2017)
Developing
countries with hundreds of millions of resource poor and livelihood
farmers face a do-or-die battle, ahead of the World Trade Organization's
eleventh ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires later this year, to secure
a permanent solution for public stockholding programs for food security
and a simple and effective special safeguard mechanism, trade envoys
told SUNS.
Kenya's
Karau to chair agriculture negotiations
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 7 April 2017)
An
informal meeting of the General Council on Friday (7 April) is expected
to formally adopt the appointment of Ambassador Stephen Ndung'u Karau
of Kenya as the new chair of the Doha agriculture negotiating body.
Prospects
for credible outcomes at Buenos Aires bleak
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 31 March 2017)
Efforts
are currently underway to nominate Kenya's trade envoy Ambassador
Stephen Ndung'u Karau as the chair of the Doha agriculture negotiating
body, with the African Group, at the behest of some powerful developed
and South American countries, apparently asking Ambassador Karau to
chair the Special Session on agriculture to break the current impasse.
PSH
must cover all DCs, not country-specific
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 21 March 2017)
The
G33 farm coalition led by Indonesia has called for a permanent solution
for public stockholding programs to address the concerns of all developing
countries, instead of any one country-specific solution, at the World
Trade Organization's eleventh ministerial meeting (MC11) in Buenos
Aires later this year, trade envoys told SUNS.
South
stress on public stockholding, SSM, S&D, development
(Kanaga
Raja, Geneva, 27 February 2017)
Many
developing countries stressed the importance of outcomes, amongst
others, on the issues of public stockholding for food security purposes
and on the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) at MC11 in Buenos Aires
later this year.
CSOs
urge WTO DG to advance development mandate, not 'new issues'
(Kanaga
Raja, Geneva, 13 February 2017)
Over
80 Indian civil society organisations (CSOs) called on WTO Director-General
Roberto Azevedo to advance the development mandate of the WTO negotiations
especially on key issues in agriculture, instead of his current push
for agreements on e-commerce and investment.
DG
Azevedo rebuked by India over "value-loaded" statements
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 8 February 2017)
India
sharply rebuked on Monday (6 February) the World Trade Organization
director-general Roberto Azevedo over his assessment that there were
"wide divergences" on special safeguard mechanism (SSM)
in the run-up to the Nairobi ministerial meeting in December 2015,
trade envoys told SUNS.
LDCs
push for concrete outcomes at MC11 on agri domestic support
(D.
Ravi Kanth, Geneva, 23 January 2017)
Despite
the uncertainty and unpredictability induced by the new Trump administration's
unilateral demands in global trade, the least-developed countries
have raised the antennae for concrete outcomes for reducing trade-distorting
domestic support at the World Trade Organization's eleventh ministerial
meeting in Buenos Aires later this year.