{"id":65099,"date":"2024-02-27T16:31:30","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T16:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wto-braces-for-battles-on-fisheries-agriculture-in-uae-talks\/"},"modified":"2024-02-27T16:31:30","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T16:31:30","slug":"wto-braces-for-battles-on-fisheries-agriculture-in-uae-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wto-braces-for-battles-on-fisheries-agriculture-in-uae-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"WTO braces for battles on fisheries, agriculture in UAE talks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>The world\u2019s trade ministers are set for tough negotiations on Tuesday at a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Abu Dhabi, with fisheries and agriculture taking centre stage.<\/p>\n<p>The closed talks will take place on the second day of the WTO\u2019s 13th ministerial conference which is scheduled to run until Thursday but could go into over-time amid divisions.<\/p>\n<p>There is little hope for major breakthroughs with WTO rules requiring full consensus among all 164 member states.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1817299\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>But progress could be made on a new global agreement on fisheries subsidies.<\/p>\n<p>After a 2022 deal which banned subsidies contributing to illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing, the WTO hopes to conclude a second package focusing on subsidies which fuel overcapacity and overfishing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re close. It\u2019s doable for sure,\u201d said a diplomatic source.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe final push needs a little bit of compromise, a little bit of political will,\u201d the source told <em>AFP<\/em> on condition of anonymity, calling a potential agreement a \u201cvery good outcome\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The 2022 agreement has yet to take effect as not enough countries have ratified it.<\/p>\n<p>But it was seen as a major achievement, marking just the second accord concluded by the WTO\u2019s full membership since the global trade body was created in 1995, and the first focused on environmental protection.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"sensitive-issues\" href=\"#sensitive-issues\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>\u2018Sensitive issues\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Negotiations in recent months at the WTO headquarters in Geneva have enabled a draft text to be brought forward for a second fisheries deal.<\/p>\n<p>The draft provides for a ban on subsidies that promote overfishing and overcapacity, unless they fall within the framework of a fishery resource management mechanism based on sustainability criteria.<\/p>\n<p>The text would essentially divide member countries into three groups, with the largest subsidy providers subject to greater scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>It provides flexibilities and advantages for developing countries.<\/p>\n<p>But some \u2014 notably India \u2014 are demanding concessions, including transition periods that others consider too long.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have some sensitive issues, some discussions to have, particularly with India and with certain countries, but we are relatively confident in our abilities to finally seal this agreement,\u201d said a French diplomatic source.<\/p>\n<p>Some non-government organisations (NGOs), meanwhile, are concerned that too much leniency could compromise the outcome.<\/p>\n<p>A \u201cclear prohibition with fewer exemptions probably would be the best\u201d approach, said Ernesto Fernandez Monge of the Pew Charitable Trusts, a nongovernment organisation that seeks to improve public policy.<\/p>\n<p>But \u201cwe believe that it\u2019s important to have an agreement than no agreement,\u201d he told <em>AFP<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"agriculture\" href=\"#agriculture\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Agriculture<\/h2>\n<p>Unlike other WTO agreements which aim to lift trade barriers or counter trade distortions, the draft text \u2014 just like the 2022 agreement \u2014 forms part of the United Nations\u2019 sustainable development goals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would be good if we can conclude that second\u201d package, a WTO trade delegate told <em>AFP<\/em> on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n<p>But the long transition periods demanded by some states such as India is a major sticking point, the delegate said.<\/p>\n<p>While a fisheries deal is largely seen as the only viable outcome of the full WTO conference (MC13), agriculture will also be a hot topic of debate.<\/p>\n<p>Many member states want action on domestic measures that distort trade.<\/p>\n<p>Discussions revolve around issues including market access and export competition and restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>Food security will again be on the agenda, with deep disagreement over a demand from India and others for a permanent solution for public stockholding of food instead of temporary measures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven the centrality of the issue this week I implore you to deliver an agriculture outcome at MC13, even if it is setting the platform to do later a more solid work going forward,\u201d WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Edwini Kessie, WTO\u2019s director of agriculture and commodities, acknowledged that there is no \u201cconvergence\u201d on an agriculture agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClearly the most difficult issue is public stockholding,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world\u2019s trade ministers are set for tough negotiations on Tuesday at a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Abu Dhabi, with fisheries and agriculture taking centre stage. The closed talks will take place on the second day of the WTO\u2019s 13th ministerial conference which is scheduled to run until Thursday but could go into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2024\/02\/271255246f4d1c5.jpg?r=130015","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}