2022 part1

101/ DDG Ellard: “Forward momentum in our work”

23 MARCH 2022

In a virtual conversation with the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN) on 23 March, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard said that, despite the uncertainty created by the war in Ukraine, there is “forward momentum” in the WTO’s work, including a recent compromise among four key members concerning COVID-19 vaccines and intellectual property rights.

Concerning the war in Ukraine, DDG Ellard underlined the conflict’s impact in terms of loss of life, economic devastation and food security. In particular, she stressed that Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of wheat, sunflower oil and fertilizer, and that the war will have economic reverberations far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

She further pointed to the WTO’s upcoming 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), set by the WTO membership for the week of 13 June. She added that preparations for MC12 continue and highlighted the progress made by members in negotiations on intellectual property rights and COVID-19 vaccines.

DDG Ellard also cited the progress made on issues such as the environment, electronic commerce and fisheries subsidies, and she pointed to efforts to reform the WTO. She highlighted an upcoming report on the role of subsidies in international trade.

Source: wto.org

102/ Canada commits CAD 200,000 to support developing-country exports of safe, quality food

24 MARCH 2022

Canada is contributing CAD 200,000 (approximately CHF 150,000) to help developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) engage more actively in global agricultural trade. The grant to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) aims to support countries in meeting international food safety, and animal and plant health standards, enabling them to access global and regional markets more easily.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “I thank Canada for its ongoing support of developing countries and LDCs in strengthening their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacities through science-based approaches. This contributes to raising farmers’ incomes by increasing export sales and deepening developing countries’ integration into the world economy. The STDF will continue to facilitate inclusive and safe trade worldwide, in partnership with Canada.”

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said: “The Government of Canada supports a global agricultural trading system where farmers in Canada and abroad can rely on predictability to grow their crop, raise their livestock and help feed the world. By investing in the STDF, we are playing a key role in improving SPS systems in developing countries to ensure the safety of the global trading system.”

Canada is extending its 17-year partnership with the STDF by committing CAD 200,000 from 2021 to 2022 to help developing countries meet international food safety and health standards. The STDF will use Canada’s contribution to support the development and roll-out of SPS projects across various sectors, countries and regions, promote knowledge sharing, foster collaboration among partners including through the STDF Working Group and improve monitoring and evaluation of results.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the department of the Government of Canada responsible for the federal regulation of agriculture, has contributed around CHF 13.3 million to various WTO trust funds since 2002, including about CHF 6.7 million to the STDF.

Developing countries may apply to the STDF for project and project preparation grants. The next deadline for submission of funding proposals is 12 August 2022. Information on how to apply is available here. To date, the STDF has funded more than 230 projects benefiting LDCs and other developing countries.

The contribution by Canada will also strengthen STDF’s coordination platform, connecting diverse stakeholders across agriculture, health, trade and development to share experiences, find opportunities for collaboration and promote a more coherent approach to SPS capacity development.

The STDF is a global multi-stakeholder partnership to facilitate safe and inclusive trade, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO, which houses and manages the partnership. The STDF responds to evolving needs, drives inclusive trade and contributes to sustainable economic growth, food security and poverty reduction, in support of the United Nations’ Global Goals.

Source: wto.org