The World Trade Organization’s 13th ministerial conference (MC13) starting in Abu Dhabi on 26 February seems like a proverbial clash of “Goliath vs David” over the proposed termination of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and the proposed controversial plurilateral agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD), said people familiar with the development.
On both issues, the battle-lines are being drawn between a large majority of countries on the one side, with two developing countries (India and South Africa) on IFD, and three developing countries (India, South Africa, and Indonesia) on the e-commerce moratorium, on the other, said people familiar with the discussions.
In both cases, the majority of countries appear determined to give short shrift to the rules-based WTO to achieve their goals, while India and South Africa want members to live up to the current mandate that was agreed at MC12 in Geneva in June 2022, said people who asked not to be quoted.
It appears that all the major developed countries, including those that are not members of the IFD initiative, are likely to put up a massive show of strength at the Abu Dhabi conference hall on 25 February to drive home the message that nothing can stop them from pursuing the plurilateral agreement on IFD, said people familiar with the discussions.
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