Washington, April 8 (IANS) The United States has sharply criticised the functioning of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer calling it “ineffective and dysfunctional” after the 14th Ministerial Conference failed to deliver meaningful reform, particularly on digital trade rules. In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, following the conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Greer said the WTO is no longer a “serious forum” and wa…
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New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that consensus-based decision-making is the bedrock of the WTO’s legitimacy, as the discussions related to reforms in the global trading system, electronic commerce, TRIPS non-violation and the package for least developed countries (LDCs) will now continue in Geneva.The minister’s statement comes after the conclusion of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the WTO at Yaounde in Cameroon on Monday, where he led the Indian delega…
New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has emphasised the importance of a balanced and responsive World Trade Organization (WTO) that effectively addresses the needs and aspirations of all members, particularly developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).Goyal had valuable discussions with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, as part of engagements at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaounde, Cameroon.“Acknowledge…
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS): Ministers and senior officials attending the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Africa’s Cameroon participated in a series of meetings to address key issues on the WTO agenda and to provide political direction for the post-MC14 work ahead, according to a statement issued by the multilateral body.The ministerial sessions addressed the issues of fisheries subsidies, the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, the E-Commerce Work Programme and m…
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Maros Sefcovic, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, on the sidelines of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Cameroon, and reviewed progress on the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA).Both the leaders deliberated on key priorities under the MC14 agenda and “reviewed progress on the ongoing work towards the signing of the India-EU FTA, as announced by PM Naren…
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that India has adopted a balanced and people-centric approach to fisheries governance while participating in deliberations at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Cameroon.Sharing details on social media platform X, Goyal said he addressed the Ministerial Session on Fisheries Subsidies, highlighting that fisheries in India are a vital source of livelihood and f…
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has stressed the importance of consensus-based decision-making and addressing structural imbalances in global trade as WTO members deliberated on reform issues during the second day of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon.Leading the Indian delegation, Goyal said that consensus remains the bedrock of the WTO’s legitimacy and cautioned against undermining the sovereign right of members to not be bound by …
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has emphasised that WTO discussions must address the asymmetries from the Uruguay Round, underlining the importance of all members having a fair opportunity to build productive capacity, create employment, and participate meaningfully in global trade.The minister said that the multilateral trading system must ensure that innovation, development and opportunity are shared equitably among Members. He also stated India’s commitm…
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that WTO reforms must be pursued through a transparent, inclusive and member-driven process, with development at its core, at the ongoing 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, an official statement said on Friday.He also underlined the need to uphold key principles such as non-discrimination, consensus-based decision-making and equity.On the sidelines of the conference, Goyal met Cameroon Pri…
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) India came out strongly on Thursday for WTO reforms to be carried out through a transparent, inclusive and member-driven process that keeps the special rights of developing countries at its core in accordance with the foundational principles and objectives of the multilateral organisation. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, in his address at the WTO ministerial conference in Cameroon, said that the WTO reforms must be centred around development and focus mainly on non-dis…