MC13 to Serve as 'Stepping Stone' for MC14 for Ag Negotiations
Turkey's Alparslan Acarsoy, chair of agriculture negotiations at the World Trade Organization, told negotiators to focus "more specifically and concretely" on outcomes for the 13th Ministerial Conference, set to be held Feb. 26-29, the WTO said. Reporting on consultations with WTO members during the Jan. 16-17 agriculture talks, Acarsoy said that most members think they will not be able to agree on "modalities" laying out formulas for new commitments, and that the ministerial rather stands as a stepping stone for the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference. But results on agriculture from MC13 are still attainable in the form of an "acknowledgment of the work undertaken in the agriculture negotiations so far, including recent submissions, as a basis for work after MC13," he said. General objectives and timetables could also surface that will stand as achievements for MC13.
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During the talks, members also discussed "new or revised submissions on export restrictions on food; agricultural production and trade in net food importing developing countries (NFIDCs) and least developed countries (LDCs); and domestic support to the agricultural sector," the WTO said.