PIB | 17 Jun, 2022
India
has been able to secure a favourable outcome at the WTO after many
years, despite a strong global campaign against our farmers &
fishermen, said Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush
Goyal, after conclusion of the WTO 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva
today.
Terming the just concluded MC12 as an “outcome oriented”
success, Goyal said the Indian delegation, guided constantly by the
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has been 100 percent 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 the Prime Minister Narendra 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.
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, 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.
“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, adding, “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, Shri Goyal said the Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) decision will boost
vaccine equity, accessibility & 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, Goyal 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 &
vulnerable with sensitivity and fought bravely for their cause.