India Able To Secure A Favourable Outcome At WTO Despite Strong Global Campaign Against Our Farmers, Fishermen: Goyal

India has been able to secure a favourable outcome at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after many years, despite a strong global campaign against our farmers and fishermen, said Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, after conclusion of the WTO 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva today (17 June), said an official release.

Terming the just concluded Conference as an “outcome oriented” success, Goyal said the Indian delegation, guided constantly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been 100 per cent successful in portraying before the world the priority issues for India and the developing world.

Goyal said the Indian delegation leveraged India’s strong relationship with the world, which PM Modi has nurtured over the last few years, according to a Ministry of Commerce and Industry release.

“Few countries attempted to create false campaign, initially on Sunday and Monday, that India is obstinate due to which no progress is being made. The real situation has emerged before us all, the issues raised by India, on which Prime Minister had asked us to focus upon, now the whole world acknowledges that was the correct agenda and ultimately India played a vital role in arriving at all solutions,” Goyal told a press conference in Geneva.

Stating that it is a proud day for 135 crore Indians at the WTO today, Goyal said India took the lead and was at the center of the conference.

“It turned the tide of negotiations from full failure, gloom & doom to optimism, enthusiasm and consensus based decision. India’s efforts to bring members on a table to discuss issues irrespective of the existing geopolitical order has ensured that the world order is not broken,” he said.

Admitting that India and the developing countries accepted certain compromising decisions when the WTO was established 30 years ago and during the Uruguay Round of negotiations, the minister said India today bats on the front foot rather than being fearful on various issues be it environment, startups, MSMEs or gender equality.

India is able to build consensus and get a win-win outcome for the world, he said.

“Today as we return India there is no issue on which we have to be the least concerned, whether it is related to agriculture such as MSP, reinforcing the relevance of the Public Stockholding Programme towards fulfilling the National Food Safety Programme or PM Garib Kalyan Scheme, TRIPS Waiver, e-Commerce moratorium, response to covid and fisheries,” said Goyal.

He added, “Similarly there have been no restrictions on fishing that our fishermen were deeply concerned about, that would bind artisanal and traditional fishermen of India in the future. India has been cent percent successful; no restrictions or terms have been placed on India or the Government, rather we have been successful in introducing checks on illegal fishing, under-reporting or outside regulation, viz IUU fishing.”

Goyal said India remains committed to supporting the World Food Programme (WFP).

Citing India’s recent wheat supplies to Afghanistan, he said the Government has imposed no export restrictions on WFP purchases for food security in other countries; however, domestic food security takes priority.

On the global fight against the Covid19, Goyal said the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) decision will boost vaccine equity, accessibility and affordability. It will enable ease of authorisation for production of patented vaccines and India can produce for domestic requirements and exports.

On the WTO Reforms agenda, he said the basic structure and core principles of WTO including consensus, S&DT provisions, SDG goals, will be retained while making it more contemporary.

“I believe it will be good for the WTO, and will be good for the Developing and Under-Developed countries in the future and foster global trade through transparent means,” he said.

Goyal said India’s motto of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ echoes in the WTO, India not only raised its issues but raised the issues of other developing countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), poor and vulnerable with sensitivity and fought bravely for their cause.