Minister Hassan Advocates for Seychelles’ Interests at 13th WTO Ministerial Meeting
March 14, 2024
The Minister for Finance, National Planning, and Trade, Mr. Naadir Hassan, accompanied by Ambassador Gervais Moumou, officials from the Trade Department and the Fisheries Department, represented Seychelles at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference held in Abu Dhabi from February 26 to March 1, 2024.
This significant gathering convened trade Ministers from across the globe to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system and to take decisions on the future work of the WTO in efforts to ensure that the Organization remains responsive to current trade challenges.
Prior to the Ministerial Conference, Minister Naadir Hassan delivered two comprehensive remarks, outlining Seychelles’ key priorities under the WTO, particularly concerning the ongoing negotiations on Fisheries Subsidies, E-Commerce, Dispute Settlement Reform, and issues relevant to Small Economies and Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) for developing nations. At the conference, Minister Hassan reiterated Seychelles' stance through two significant statements, concerning E-Commerce and Fisheries Subsidies. The interventions emphasized Seychelles’ commitment to fostering equitable and sustainable trade practices for the benefit of its economy and advancing its interests in these critical areas.
One of the noteworthy outcomes of the meeting for Seychelles, in addition to the Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration, was the renewal of the longstanding moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions, commonly known as the “WTO e-commerce moratorium.” It is envisioned that this decision will provide policy stability for WTO members and provide space for further work to be undertaken to assess the importance and impact of customs duties on electronic transmissions for relevant Member States. The extended moratorium is set to remain effective until the next WTO Ministerial Conference.
Additionally, the Ministers adopted a Ministerial Decision which acknowledged the progress made in Geneva-based discussions on having a fully and well-functioning WTO Dispute Settlement System accessible to all Members by 2024. Ministers also instructed Geneva-based officials to review, with an aim to improve, the application of S&DT provisions within the WTO agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade; this decision aims to make these provisions more precise, effective, and operational, thereby fostering inclusive and equitable participation of developing and least developed countries in the multilateral trading system.
Amongst others, the Ministerial Conference also saw an agreement to extend the moratorium on non-violation and situation complaints concerning the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) until the next Ministerial Conference.
Ministers agreed to the continuation of negotiations in all areas where agreement could not be reached at MC13, including that concerning Fisheries Subsidies.
Seychelles’ participation in the WTO and its 13th Ministerial Conference signifies its proactive stance in promoting a rules-based, transparent and inclusive multilateral trading system and ensuring its national interests are aligned to ensure that the benefits of international trade continue to contribute to its socio-economic and sustainable development.