Desist from food ban as hunger haunts

The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) made a fervent appeal to countries concerned to desist from sudden imposition of restrictions on grain export when hunger haunts many.
They also voiced a consensus demand at the world trade meet here for continuing trade benefits to the graduating members beyond graduation from the poor-country club.
At the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which kicked off Sunday, the LDCs placed the pleas citing the current global crunch in particular.
At LDCs ministerial conference, held on the sidelines of the ministerial conference, 36 LDCs joined forces to press their demands.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh said the LDCs raised the issue for the sake of ensuring food security as sudden ban fuels prices of agricultural produce.
Neighbouring countries on occasions imposed export ban on onions, edible oils, sugar etc.
Food crisis and fuel-price hike became a major negotiating issue at the 12th WTO minister conference as many countries have already put restrictions on food items' export and fuel prices have already soared globally, primarily for the global pandemic followed by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi in his opening speech urged the global leaders and the WTO to see to that no country puts any ban on export of food items for any reason.
"Food crisis along with economic downturns is imminent. Small and vulnerable economies are suffering most. We urge members not to impose export restrictions on products which are essential for our survival, particularly relevant for our food security, public health and long-term development goals in the LDCs," he said in his speech delivered at the MC12 on the first day.
"This is painful to note that to respond to the pandemic, the WTO could not deliver any result till date. Some of us could not prioritize the human needs over the profit maximization. I hope during the upcoming food crisis and economic recession WTO shall play its role to ensure certainty and predictability," Mr Munshi told the global trade meet.
Mr Ghosh, however, said the issue of allowing graduating LDCs for few more years has not put in agenda for the first-day meeting as the US has expressed reservation to extend the benefit.
However, the EU has soft stance on offering the benefits to the LDCs, he noted.
"Our major agenda for the MC12 is to press for extension of the trade benefit after the graduation," he said, hoping for a positive conclusion of MC12.
Earlier, all the LDCs in their forum meeting demanded extension for the LDC trade benefit to the graduating LDCs at least for six to nine years after the graduation.
Mr Ghosh said Bangladesh also demanded continuation of fisheries subsidies
Hafizur Rahman, Director-General of the WTO Cell under the MoC, said Bangladesh negotiated extension of the Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) up to January 2033.
After the LDC graduation, the current TRIPs facility will come to an end and the prices of medicine will go up on the domestic market because of discontinuation of the patent right of generic medicine.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the WTO, at a press conference also said food crisis became another challenge for the world because of the Russia-Ukraine war.
On fishery subsidies, the WTO DG hinted that they may reach a conclusion at the end of the four-day negotiation as the member- countries also want ban on subsidies on marine fishing.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala strongly urged the members to be more cohesive to reach consensus in the areas of giving trade benefit to the graduating LDCs, extension of the TRIPs benefit to the graduating LDCs, and stopping sudden ban on export of food- grains.
Timur M. Suleimenov, first Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, chaired the 12th WTO meeting.
The world needs less, not much uncertainty, he said regarding the current food crisis that was created from the fallouts of global pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine war.

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