26-29 February: La Via Campesina Calls for a Week of Mobilization Against the WTO
February 9, 2024 | Source: Via Campesina
The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is scheduled to take place from 26 to 29 February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
La Via Campesina has learned that the food and agricultural negotiations during the 13th ministerial will discuss (i) a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding, pending since 2013 (ii) the Special Safeguard Mechanism, a long-standing demand from developing countries, (iii) the substantial subsidies provided by developed countries in the Global North to their agro-industries, and (iv) industrial fishing subsidies along with the special and differential treatment requested by developing countries to safeguard small-scale fisheries.
While these issues have been under discussion for several years, the WTO has repeatedly demonstrated its irrelevance by failing to heed the demands and aspirations of much of the Global South and small-scale farmers worldwide. Instead of addressing these concerns, the WTO has only generated and aggravated the crises of global hunger, extreme poverty, agrarian conflict, and the food crisis.