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India to oppose negotiating mandate for non-trade issues at WTO ministerial.
Feb 08, 2024

India will stick to its stance and oppose any negotiation mandate on non-trade issues such as environment, gender and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at the upcoming 13th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), officials said.
 
New Delhi is of the view that protectionist trade barriers should not be erected in the guise of sustainable development and there are different multilateral fora such as the United Nations where these issues can be discussed.
 
'Issues like environment and labour are non-trade issues. These are non-negotiable at WTO. We are sticking to that stand,' said an official. 'These are not trade issues but they have trade implications.'
 
The official added that India is against linking issues such as MSMEs and gender with trade.
 
WTO’s MC13 will be held from February 26 to 29 in Abu Dhabi and developed nations are pushing to begin formal talks on such non-trade issues.
 
On the inclusion of issues related to economic empowerment of women at the WTO talks, the official said India believes that this is a social and domestic matter, and there are specialised conventions of the UN to discuss these.
 
'So, we will not agree to any work programme; we will agree to discussions to promote sustainable development but our rights and obligations should not be impacted,' the official said.
 
The final agenda of the MC13 is expected to be finalised in the General Council meeting of the WTO next week in Geneva.
 
Officials also said that India is likely to oppose any negotiations on investments in the WTO as these fall outside the mandate of the global trade body and cannot be deliberated in formal meetings.
 
'It will be tightrope for India,' said an official.
 
China, along with a 100 countries is pushing for a Joint Initiative on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD).
 
As per the official, India is watchful of the different positions of the EU and the US on issues related to agriculture especially market access.
 
    
economictimes.indiatimes.com

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