V.S. Seshadri - Volume IX, Issue 10

DPG is deeply committed to the growth of India’s national power and purpose, the security and prosperity of the people of India and India’s contributions to the global public good. [...] Adoption of the Abu Dhabi Declaration and a few decisions which together spelt out the work ahead in the coming two years, as well as the extension of the existing moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions (ET), were the highlights.1 Accessions of two new countries to the WTO, Comoros and Timor Leste, increased the WTO’s strength to 166 members. [...] The parties to the agreement were very keen that MC13 agree for the IFD to be included as a plurilateral agreement under Annex 4 of the WTO Marrakesh Agreement, and thus become part of the WTO acquis. [...] Proponents of the opposite view can point to an explicit mandate in the July Framework of 2004, whereby the General Council of the WTO barred any negotiations within the WTO during the Doha Round on investment (as well as competition policy and government procurement). [...] The Director General of the WTO made a special mention of this at her closing speech at the MC13, when she said in this context “I would like to thank the EU, India and South Africa, and all the members that worked to make this a possibility.” (vi) India’s Request for a Permanent Solution for PSH for Food Security This has been a long pending demand by India and the G-33 group of developing countr.