 "WTO, Piyush Goyal, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala")
India has been able to secure a favourable outcome at the WTO after many years, despite a strong global campaign against its farmers & fishermen, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, after the conclusion of the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva.
"Big win for our fishing community! India's consistent and considerate position is reflected strongly in the @WTO fisheries outcome. We are committed to ensure a bright future for our 90 lakh fishermen", he said in a tweet.
Terming the just-concluded MC12 as an "outcome oriented" success, Goyal said the Indian delegation, guided constantly by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been 100 percent successful in portraying before the world the priority issues for India and the developing world.
He said the Indian delegation leveraged India's strong relationship with the world, which PM Modi has nurtured over the last few years.
"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.
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The outcomes at the WTO meeting were that on fisheries, there would be a check on illegal unreported and unregulated fishing in our waters and elsewhere, he said, adding that there would be very strict controls on overfished areas so that fish stocks are restored. Additionally, no subsidies to be provided for fishing in areas outside EEZ or RFMOs.
In addition, the TRIPS decision will boost export, vaccine equity, accessibility, and affordability. A country can authorise production of vaccines patented elsewhere and there would be no consent required as well as there would be no limit on exports. A decision on diagnostics/therapeutics would be taken in 6 months. There would be faster pandemic response in future and there would be fewer trade barriers in pandemics, Goyal said.
On e-Commerce, while agreeing to the temporary moratorium, India asked for intensifying discussions on the moratorium including on its scope, definition and impact for taking an informed decision on the same.
The Food Security Declaration, focusses on making food available in developing countries while working towards increasing productivity and production.
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 centre 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, Goyal said India today bats on the front foot rather than being fearful on various issues, be it environment, startups, MSMEs, or gender equality.
This is a result of the confidence of New India. India is able to build consensus & get a Win-Win outcome for the world, he said.
--IANS
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