India Stands Firm With Developing Nations As 12th Hour WTO Negotiations Continue In Abu Dhabi

With few hours left before the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) closing session in Abu Dhabi, India stands firm on safeguarding the interests of developing nations amid “delicately poised” negotiations. Negotiators released new draft deals on Friday showing that all-night talks had failed to produce a breakthrough on key issues, leading to a third extension for the sides to reach a deal.

The deadlock at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC) could be broken before a new deadline, with several delegates cautioning that some nations were far apart on many key issues. Many officials had already gone home on the fifth day of the ministerial meeting, although Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal remained.

Hours after the original deadline had passed, the biennial high-level meeting of trade ministers from around the world is seeking to revise global commerce rules on a broad range of issues from fishing and farming to e-commerce. India’s stance at the WTO reflects its commitment to protecting farmers’ interests by pushing for a permanent solution to Public Stockholding (PDH) while upholding the “peace clause” adopted at the 2013 Bali ministerial.

India remains steadfast in safeguarding the interests of farmers and fisherfolk and facilitating the entry of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) into the global trade arena, advocating for a longer transformation period of six years. As the voice of developing nations, India opposes the extension of the E-Commerce Moratorium and ensures that China’s International Food Defence (IFD) agenda is thwarted.

India has asserted the need to maintain the WTO solely as a platform for trade, stressing the need to foster fair and equitable global trade practices. Some developing countries opposed extending a moratorium on digital trade. India and China have disagreed on key issues including on investment. So far, no deals have been agreed after nearly five days of talks in Abu Dhabi.