India Champions Reform at WTO: A Call for Trade Justice

India seeks action to address non-tariff barriers and revive the WTO's dispute resolution system to ensure fair global trade. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized consensus on core trade principles among 25 WTO member countries, highlighting shared goals for strengthening multilateralism and resolving pressing issues ahead of a crucial ministerial conference.

In a recent gathering of WTO member nations, India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urged collective action to tackle prevalent non-tariff barriers and to restore the organization's dispute resolution mechanism. The minister's call emphasized the need for a consensus-driven approach to addressing trade distortions caused by non-market economies.

This mini-ministerial meeting, attended by representatives from 25 countries, was conducted ahead of the 14th WTO ministerial conference. Goyal highlighted the need to uphold special treatment for developing nations and called for a renewed focus on finalizing mandated issues from past meetings. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala participated in the discussions.

Goyal pointed out existing challenges such as the dysfunctional U.S.-blocked dispute settlement process. While the MPIA was briefly discussed, it lacked strong support. The WTO, a 166-member entity, continues to face internal challenges, but member nations, including India, are committed to revitalizing its core principles and promoting global trade growth.

(With inputs from agencies.)