WTO D-G Floats 3 Draft Texts on Agriculture, Urges Acceptance Ahead of MC12

World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said members of an agriculture negotiating meeting for delegation chiefs should adopt three draft texts ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference, the WTO announced. The texts contain agricultural trade reforms, a draft ministerial declaration on trade and food security, and a draft ministerial declaration exempting food bought by the U.N.'s World Food Program from export bans. With the MC12 looming -- set to be held June 12-15 -- Okonjo-Iweala said the delegations should target their suggestions on key elements of the texts to allow for the committee's quickest adoption.

The WTO said many members at the negotiation meeting agreed that, while the ambition of the texts was lowered, the "overall structure" of the draft texts boosted "the equilibrium among the negotiating topics" and increased the likelihood of adoption at MC12. The topic of food security in particular garnered approval from the negotiating members, the WTO said, though some members said the text should explicitly discuss the role of trade in addressing food security. Others proposed linking the draft declaration more clearly with the negotiations under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture as part of the long-term solution to improving food security.

During the meeting, Indonesia, along with other G-33 developing country group members, floated a draft ministerial decision on public stockholding. The text would allow developing members greater leeway to use administered prices to buy food from farmers under public stockholding program schemes. Another agriculture negotiating meeting was held over the weekend to finalize the texts ahead of the June 7 General Council meeting.