PH welcomes progress in WTO but says more needs to be done

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The Philippines said a  lot of work has yet to be done in agriculture, dispute settlement reform, and fisheries subsidies in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In a statement yesterday following the conclusion of the negotiations of the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC) of the WTO in Abu Dhabi March 2, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual who led the Philippine delegation to the MC said the country welcomes the progress made that enabled the WTO members deliver on key outcomes.

These are on   the extension of moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmission, finalization of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, the entry into force of Service Domestic Regulations Agreement, the accession of Timor Leste and Comoros as new WTO members, and good progress in the negotiation of fisheries subsidies.

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Pascual noted the need to  focus on the underlying issues and achieve convergence on unresolved matters.

After five days of rigorous negotiations, some unresolved issues persisted in agriculture, dispute settlement reform, and fisheries subsidies.

“Given the different levels of development of the now 166 WTO Members, finding convergence on sensitive and important issues is expected to be challenging.  The WTO remains the core of the multilateral trading system, and its role in shaping policies in trade and related disciplines cannot be overemphasized.  That is why it has been proactive in addressing challenges in digital trade, sustainable development, and the environment,” DTI Secretary Pascual stressed.

The conference ended with a strong commitment from Ministers to preserve and strengthen the multilateral trading system’s capacity to address the evolving trade challenges.

The Ministers adopted the Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration which highlights the importance of the development dimension in the work of the WTO, recognizing the multilateral trading system’s contribution to achieving the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. The declaration also recognized the impact of women’s economic empowerment and participation in trade on economic growth and sustainable development.

“Multilateralism remains relevant in this complex environment, what is important is that we are all working towards noble objectives and driven by a strong desire to serve the people,”  Pascual said.

A Reuters report said negotiators failed to see breakthroughs on agriculture, fisheries and other key topics. A moratorium on imposing tariffs on e-commerce data transmissions was extended by two years, in a relief to businesses.

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