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Developing countries of the G-33 have lauded India's role in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations. At a meeting of the G-33 convened in Geneva at India's request, several member countries also appreciated India's role in making G-33 an effective grouping in the WTO. G-33 is a coalition of WTO member countries on Special Products (SPs)* and Special Safeguard Mechanisms (SSMs)+ in agriculture. All the G-33 countries attended the meeting, which was addressed by Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, who is heading the Indian delegation to key WTO meetings that have been convened held in the run up to the Hong Kong Ministerial.
Shri Kamal Nath emphasised the need to finalise the proposal on the selection and treatment of Special Products, while addressing the G-33. He said that all products that had livelihood security and food security implications should qualify for categorisation as Special Products. Self-selection should be the principal methodology. These products should be treated with far more flexibility than what the tariff formula would normally require, he said. Shri Kamal Nath also emphasised that no market access formula could be agreed to unless the parameters on selection and treatment of Special Products was also agreed on. He also touched on the Special Safeguard Mechanism. Shri Kamal Nath's remarks were greeted with applause by the G-33 participants.
Shri Kamal Nath is particularly concentrating on coordinating the working of the G-20 with that of the G-33. It may be recalled that the G-20 is a group of agricultural exporting countries with aggressive interest particularly in seeking cuts in all trade distorting domestic support and elimination of export subsidies, whereas the G-33 is a group with defensive interests in the area agricultural market access. India feels that since it has interest in both areas, its own as well as the interests of developing countries in general would be best served by the two groups working in tandem.
India has been a founder member of the G-33, which is an alliance of 42 developing countries. The primary focus of this group is to safeguard their food and livelihood security and rural development needs through designation of an appropriate number of Special Products (which will attract more flexible treatment than the sensitive products) and protection against import surges or depressed prices through a new Special Safeguard Mechanism.
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