Thematic topics to be discussed under the Work Programme
mandated in Paragraph 8 of the MC12 Ministerial Declaration
on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity

COMMUNICATION FROM DJIBOUTI ON BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP

The following communication dated 25 October 2022, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Djibouti on behalf of the LDC Group.

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The present submission proposes a non-exhaustive list of themes to be addressed by Members under the Work Programme mandated in paragraph 8 of the MC12 Ministerial Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity (WT/MIN(22)/28).

1  Objective

1.1.  As stated in the Ministerial Declaration, the starting point of the Work Programme discussion should be the challenges that developing countries, and particularly in least-developed (LDCs) and net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs), face in securing availability and access to food in times of trade disruptions, record prices and excessive volatility or other emergency situations.

1.2.  Discussions under the work programme should therefore aim at:

·        Identifying the needs of developing countries in particular LDCs and NFIDCs to build long term resilience and preparedness to respond to acute future crisis;

·        Assessing how best the multilateral trade system can help LDCs and NFIDCs respond to those challenges and whether existing rules and provisions are appropriate to address such situations;

·        Making recommendations, where appropriate, with respect to future action, including the desirability of improving existing rules.

1.3.  In doing this, it is critical to take a long-term perspective and envisage responses that could apply not only to the present situation but also to future disruptions in the global food system. As shown by the food price spikes, which intermittently occurred between 2006 and 2013, episodes of high and excessively volatile prices combined with trade and value chains disruptions are recurrent problems.