A farmers group scored the government’s lack of consultation in the country’s negotiating position on agriculture issues at the on-going 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC12).
Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) said the Department of Agriculture (DA) did not conduct any stakeholder consultations regarding the government’s position on the negotiations for MC12.
The high-level MC12 is currently ongoing in Geneva, Switzerland with high stakes negotiations on several agricultural issues, fisheries subsidies deal, Covid-19 pandemic and e-commerce, among others.
“The DTI did have an online forum last week, but I don’t know what they hoped to accomplish given that this was only a few days before MC12. No info on MC12 issues prior to the forum,” FFF National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor told the BusinessMirror.
Montemayor revealed that the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries Committee on International Trade (CIT) had about two or three meetings this year but did not involve discussions on MC12. The CIT is the mandated committee under the PCAF to discuss agricultural issues in trade-related matters and agreements.
Montemayor disclosed that the issue on curbing harmful fisheries was discussed in several CIT meetings before the committee was deactivated. However, the country’s negotiating position on the fisheries subsidies deal was never opened for consultations prior to MC12.
“Still they should have kept the sector well informed. And DA can better craft negotiating strategies in consultation with stakeholders,” Montemayor, who was a former chairperson of the CIT, said.
The BusinessMirror broke the story on Monday that the the Philippines is aiming to secure a multilateral agreement that would strengthen the special safeguard mechanism (SSM) and protect its territorial waters and resources at MC12. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/06/13/manila-seeks-wto-deal-on-ssm-fisheries/)
“It is ironic that the DA is pushing for SSM even as they allowed the capping of safeguard duties under RCEP [Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership],” Montemayor said.
“SSM was designed to give developing countries easier access and more effective remedies through the imposition of safeguard duties in the event of import surges. The Philippines and Indonesia led the fight for SSM in the WTO, but in the RCEP negotiations, DA/DTI agreed to cap safeguard duties,” Montemayor added.
In his statement at the opening of the MC12, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, the country’s lead negotiator, emphasized that the Philippines supports the conclusion of the fisheries subsidies negotiations and pushes for an outcome on agriculture negotiations.
“We believe an outcome on agriculture is indispensable at MC12 if we are to chart a pathway to credible long-term food security and development,” he said.
“The Philippines reaffirms the importance of addressing trade and production distorting domestic support as well as the right of developing Members to an effective special safeguard mechanism and a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes,” he added.
Montemayor reminded the government that the institutionalized consultative mechanism of the DA—from Task Force on WTO Agreement on Agriculture Renegotiations (TF-WAR) to the CIT—has been the “envy” of a lot of countries when it comes to crafting of negotiating positions.
Montemayor explained that the TF-WAR, which had a primary role of developing and evaluating the Philippines’s negotiating positions in agriculture issues, was eventually merged with the CIT.
“We were the envy of a lot of countries. Also, the process helped reduce doubts and tensions between govt and the private sector before and after the negotiations,” Montemayor said.
In a 2006 paper that Montemayor authored, he argued that the “consultative and interactive” system adopted by the DA has been “beneficial and instructive” to both the government and private stakeholders.
Montemayor pointed out that the system initiated by the TFWAR resulted in the crafting of “more credible” negotiating positions for the government that are “fully-supported” by stakeholders.