2022 part3

82/ WTO concludes second phase of advanced workshop on agriculture notifications

16 SEPTEMBER 2022

Twenty-three government officials participated in phase two of the Advanced Agriculture Notification Workshop taking place from 13 to 16 September at the WTO in Geneva. The workshop aimed at helping WTO members fulfil their agricultural notification obligations under the Agriculture Agreement and at facilitating the work of the Committee on Agriculture, which relies primarily on the notifications submitted by members.

Delivering the notification workshop in two phases for the first time allowed for a more comprehensive overview of the agricultural measures that members are required to notify through the Agriculture Information Management System. Phase two covered issues related to market access,  such as the Special Agricultural Safeguard and the  implementation of the Bali Decision on tariff quota administration, and the Committee on Agriculture’s Review Process, where members share information on how they implement their commitments.

The participants were able to attend the meeting of the Committee on Agriculture taking place during the week of 13 September and participate in the work of the Committee. Several shared national experiences in complying with agricultural transparency obligations.

Conducted virtually in October 2021, the first phase of the workshop focused on notifying members’ agricultural subsidies and on the transparency requirements stipulated in the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition.

In his opening remarks, Edwini Kessie, Director of the Agriculture and Commodities Division, acknowledged the important role that participants can play in keeping the trading system relevant. “Without your efforts, the WTO system would not be able to fulfil its role of enhancing transparency and predictability of international agricultural trade,” he said. Mr Kessie also stressed that the in-person aspect of the September workshop will help participants handle complex subject matters more effectively.

“This workshop has helped me understand the different complex issues surrounding notifications and, above all, it has allowed us to share ideas and views on the status of our agricultural notifications and the challenges we face in preparing notifications, such as data collection,” said Mrs Naznin Butonkee, Trade Policy Analyst at Mauritius’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, who participated in the course.

Another participant, Ms Julissa Arelis Ruiz Guillen, Head of the Trade Negotiations Unit at the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Agriculture, said: “This workshop allowed me to gain hands-on experience of the notification requirements for my country’s agricultural measures. I hope that through my newly gained expertise, my country improves its participation in the review process and compliance with notifications,” she added.

Since the entry into force of the Agreement on Agriculture in 1995, the Secretariat has received more than 5,700 agriculture notifications. Among these, 260 were received this year. The Committee on Agriculture has called on members to improve transparency and bring their notifications up to date. The aim of the workshop was to provide much-needed help for those who have requested technical assistance on notifications.

The workshop was organized by the Agriculture and Commodities Division in collaboration with the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation. It involved government officials from developing countries and least-developed countries.

List of participants

Source: wto.org