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Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun20/15) Geneva, 16 Jun (D. Ravi Kanth) – The trade ministers of the Ottawa Group on WTO reform said on 15 June that the Covid-19 pandemic provides an opportunity for the group to “provide leadership, critical thinking and analysis, as well as ideas and proposals on potential actions that the broader WTO membership could take”. Even though the large majority of developing and least-developed countries have rejected calls for undertaking binding commitments on the Covid-19 related trade measures, including enhanced transparency commitments, the Ottawa Group pressed ahead with its agenda of actions for combating the Covid-19 pandemic. During their virtual meeting on 15 June, the trade ministers of the Ottawa Group (OG) said the World Trade Organization must play an important role “in helping ensure coordination and coherence between actions its members take” for tackling the worst health crisis arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ottawa Group, which includes Australia, Brazil, Chile, the EU, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland and Canada among others, has listed six areas for immediate action. The Group said it “does not signify a reduction of interest by the Ottawa Group in advancing other priorities at the WTO, including reform of the organization (including reform of the WTO’s dispute settlement system for a long-lasting solution), multilateral negotiations on harmful fisheries subsidies and on agriculture.” Trade ministers of the group said that they are also advancing work in the plurilateral “joint statement initiatives, including those on services domestic regulation, investment facilitation for development and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.” The six “action items” include (1) transparency and withdrawal of trade-restrictive measures; (2) keeping open and predictable trade in agricultural and agri-food products; (3) e-commerce; (4) trade facilitation – use of information technology and streamlined procedures; (5) initiative on medical supplies; and (6) deepen engagement with stakeholders. They have instructed their trade officials to work on these six areas at the WTO. The proposed actions include: Action Item 1: Transparency and Withdrawal of Trade-Restrictive Measures 1. Ensure any measures introduced in response to COVID-19 are promptly notified in accordance with relevant WTO requirements; 2. Support efforts by the WTO Secretariat to collect and share information and best practices on trade-related measures taken in response to COVID-19 including by: (a) returning to the quarterly cycle of trade monitoring reports as during the financial crisis; (b) including trade-related economic support measures in the trade monitoring reports; and (c) to the extent possible, making a technical assessment of trade-related economic support measures of members in reaction to Covid-19. 3. Discuss the principle of “targeted, proportionate, transparent, temporary and consistent with WTO rules”; and 4. Lead by example and withdraw or end any trade-restrictive measures introduced in response to COVID-19 as quickly as possible. Action Item 2: Keeping Open and Predictable Trade in Agricultural and Agri-Food Products 1. Engage in ongoing discussions on the fulfilment of joint declarations on maintaining predictable and open agriculture trade; 2. Lead by example, and withdraw or end any emergency measures introduced in response to Covid-19 that may adversely affect trade in agriculture as quickly as possible; and 3. Advance analysis and consideration on what steps WTO members could take to continue improving agriculture trade based on the lessons learned from Covid-19 to ensure that future crises will not undermine trade, food security, and the stability of agricultural markets in the long-term. Action Item 3: E-commerce * “Prioritize and accelerate work on the Joint Statement Initiative on E-commerce, including through informal and virtual discussions, ahead of the rescheduled MC12 in 2021, including by the development of a consolidated negotiating text by the end of 2020 at the latest. In this regard, we will support the efforts of the co-convenors.” Action Item 4: Trade Facilitation – Use of Information Technology and Streamlined Procedures * Identify ways to take full advantage of the opportunities for trade facilitation in the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and to promote best practices for the implementation of the TFA. This includes how the adoption of digital solutions can support the movement of essential goods across borders as smoothly as possible. Action Item 5: Initiative on Medical Supplies * Advance analysis and consideration in order to identify what steps WTO members could take to facilitate trade in medical supplies to help ensure that the world is better positioned to deal with future health emergencies and to help ensure that versatile, diversified and resilient supply chains exist that allow all members access to vital medical supplies. This work should include analysis of the objectives and effects of policies affecting trade of medical supplies in response to the current pandemic and support for international organizations, including the WTO, in analyzing the potential impacts and outcomes of measures and recommending policies. Action Item 6: Deepen Engagement with Stakeholders * Explore how best to pursue intensified engagement with stakeholders in order to better inform policymaking. Until now, there is no consensus among WTO members on any of the six items. During the last virtual General Council meetings on 15 May and 29 May, several developing countries squashed attempts to use the Covid-19 as an opportunity to impose commitments.
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