Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has urged the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to restart time-bound reforms and strengthen the enforceability of international trade laws.
During the 14th WTO ministerial meeting in Cameroon's Yaounde, Goyal stressed the importance of all members having an opportunity to build productive capacity, create employment, and participate meaningfully in global trade.
India focused on the need for long-pending issues like food security, public stockholding, special safeguard mechanism on cotton to be prioritised while taking up new issues to address the structural asymmetries.
Goyal said agriculture is critical to the livelihoods of millions and that India remains committed to negotiating a comprehensive Fisheries Subsidies Agreement.
India also highlighted the continued dysfunction of the dispute settlement system and called for a time-bound restart of reform efforts with milestones, based on a more robust evidentiary analysis.
