Geneva, Nov 27, : The World Trade Organisation announced Saturday morning that its 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), was being postponed due to the influx of Covid-19 variants in different countries. Xinhia reported that several countries have imposed travel restrictions in response to the outbreak of a highly transmissible strain the Covid-19 virus.
This would have prevented many ministers reaching Geneva.
The MC12 was scheduled to take place in Geneva from Tuesday through Friday.The conference will not be rescheduled.
Friday’s latest variant B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 was classified by WHO as a “Variant Of Concern” and countries were asked to improve surveillance and sequencing efforts.
“Given these unfortunate events and the uncertainty they cause, we see little alternative but to propose that the Ministerial Conference be postponed and reconvened as soon as conditions permit,” said Dacio Castillo, chair of the WTO General Council.
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Director General of WTO, stated that due to travel restrictions and concerns about the new Covid-19 variant, many ministers and senior delegate could not have attended face-to-face negotiations at conference.This would have made participation on an equal basis impossible.
She said that many delegations believe that meeting virtually is not conducive to the type of interaction required for complex negotiations on politically sensitive topics.
“This was not an easy recommendation to make.
As Director-General, my priority remains the safety and health of all MC12 participants — ministers and delegates, as well as civil society.It is better not to be cautious,” she stated, noting that the WTO would still be in compliance with Swiss regulations if the postponement was made.
WTO’s latest announcement marks the second time the pandemic has delayed the 12th Ministerial Conference.The original date for the meeting was June 2020 in Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan).
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