Development first, asserts India at WTO Meet

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In a veiled attack on countries trying to push issues like investment, environment, carbon credit, women’s participation in business and small scale industries in the 13th WTO ministerial, India said development was the main goal of the organisation.

In the working session on development, India highlighted that historically, on the issue of development, there has been no dearth of promises made by developed countries, with each Ministerial churning lofty ideas. There have been many promises, but very little action, due to which the vulnerabilities of the developing countries have only increased.

India said the multilateral trading system stood at a crossroads today. While the world is battling multiple crises such as debt and balance of payments, the WTO itself is confronting serious challenges both from within and outside. As a result, the developing countries are not only expending their limited resources fighting these global challenges but also defending their interests in this multilateral forum.

India stated that development is the goal and the very reason, why developing countries have joined WTO. Thus, it was imperative that WTO prioritises, deliberates, and delivers solutions to the several challenges faced by developing countries.

India said the principles of special and differential treatment were no exceptions to the general WTO rules, and were the inherent objectives of the multilateral trading system.

India asserted that in their quest for industrialisation, the developed countries used and benefited from all the policy tools and are still utilising them for their new industries. But now these very same members were depriving the benefits to poorer countries.

India said that the Developing countries urgently needed flexibilities in existing rules. Infant and young industries in developing countries needed support through conducive policies, incentives, subsidies and level playing field. In the discussions on the draft Abu Dhabi ministerial declaration, India stressed that the issues relevant to the developing countries should find focus and prominence. India’s proposals for discussions all kept this prioritisation in mind. India insisted that new issues should not be considered for ministerial mandates unless past decisions and unfulfilled mandates were acted upon.