Submit your Article

WTO members today (27 February) engaged in intense discussions to get closer to meaningful outcomes on fisheries subsidies and agriculture at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi. Ministers participated in dedicated meetings on both issues followed by convergence-building sessions to seek to bridge the remaining gaps. Members also endorsed the entry into force of new disciplines on services domestic regulation and advanced work on plastics pollution, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and environmental sustainability.

The first working session at MC13 was dedicated to fisheries subsidies. The facilitator of the negotiations, Iceland's Permanent Secretary of State Martin Eyjólfsson, said the working session and the convergence-building session were productive and commended members for their constructive and focused participation. 

He said he will reach out to members to schedule a series of bilateral consultations on Wednesday, the third day of the Conference, and will share drafts for a Ministerial Decision and the protocol for the adoption by the Ministerial Conference of the Additional Provisions on Fisheries Subsidies.

“I firmly believe that success is within reach. If we operate with the right will, we will find the way. Let's keep up the momentum,” he said.

While many members reiterated their existing positions on the second wave of fisheries negotiations, there were signs of willingness to compromise. Several delegations noted the short time remaining and urged colleagues to engage in bridge-building. 

The working session started with the Philippines presenting its instrument of acceptance of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement. Following the wave of acceptances at the MC13 opening ceremony — presented by Brunei Darussalam, Chad, Malaysia, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo and Türkiye — the Philippines brought the total number of members accepting the Agreement to 70 (meaning 40 acceptances remain for the entry into force of the Agreement).

On agriculture, members addressed three critical areas: the balance across topics in terms of the specificity of issues to be addressed, timelines and expected outcomes; the deliverables for most vulnerable members in respect of the possible exemption of their imports from other members' export restrictions ; and public stockholding (PSH) for food security purposes.

The facilitator for agriculture, Rebecca Miano, Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry of Kenya, said members agreed on the critical importance of reaching an outcome at MC13, which would provide a clear sense of direction for future negotiations. Many members stressed the importance of agreeing on deliverables at MC13, but views continued to differ on how these shared objectives may be achieved. 

The facilitator expressed her intention to convene meetings in various configurations on Wednesday and invited delegations to consult among themselves and explore the possibility of narrowing gaps and tabling compromise proposals. “With less than 48 hours left, all members will need to make the necessary compromises that would enable us to make progress on the outstanding issues and reach an outcome on agriculture,” she said.

The thematic sessions were followed at the end of the day by a meeting of Heads of Delegations, where the WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala thanked members for their constructive engagement on all areas of discussion. However, she stressed that it is “crunch time” with only two days left until the official conclusion of MC13. “Everyone wants to leave on time, but if we do not get results, we are not leaving!” she added.

Director-General Okonjo-Iweala also referred to the ministerial conversations held on the first day of the Conference to address two issues: trade and sustainable development, including trade and industrial policy and policy space for industrial development, and trade and inclusion. She noted that these deliberative sessions, held for the first time at MC13, need to be finetuned but highlighted the appetite expressed by members to continue engaging in this format in the future. 

Day Two of the Ministerial Conference also saw the entry into force of new disciplines on services domestic regulation, which is expected to lower trade costs by over USD 125 billion worldwide. Supported by 72 WTO members, the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation is designed to facilitate services trade by streamlining and simplifying regulatory procedures and thereby lowering trade costs. It includes the first-ever commitment in a WTO agreement to ensuring non-discrimination between men and women when they seek permits to supply services. 

On the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), 76 participating members unveiled a package of outcomes highlighting advances made in the discussions since the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2002 and pinpointing future action in trade policy. 

On the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP), a ministerial statement circulated by the six co-coordinators — Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco — outlined trade-related actions to address the environmental, health and economic impacts of plastics pollution.

On the sidelines of the Conference, Director-General Okonjo-Iweala met members of her Civil Society Advisory Group to exchange views on the role of trade and how the WTO can evolve to meet current challenges facing the world.

The CPN (Maoist Center) has decided to field its candidate for the post of National Assembly Chairperson.

The Standing Committee (SC) meeting convened at the party central office in Parisdanda took the decision to this effect, said party Spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota.

Party Vice-Chairperson Sapkota said, "Though there will be discussions in this regard, we will reach a conclusion through consultations. At present, our party has decided to field its candidate for the post of National Assembly Chairperson."

He shared that most of the SC members voiced that the CPN (Maoist Center) should stake its claim on the post.

The post of NA Chairperson would remain vacant from March 3.

Other coalition partners in the government are also claiming their stake for the post.

Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud said efforts were underway to repatriate the Nepali nationals recruited in the Russian army.

The Minister shared this at a meeting held at the ministry on Tuesday with the relatives of Nepalis who joined the Russian military.

"Better if they had joined legally. They adopted illegal measures for joining. Whatever the ways adopted, the state has the responsibility towards them", the minister said, adding, "The government is ever responsible to its citizens. No efforts will be left to return them. I have been honestly putting my efforts for the same".

Minister Saud called the members of the families of those recruited in the Russian army for discussion at the ministry.

He further shared that the Nepal government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Moscow-based Nepali Embassy have exerted all-out efforts to the possible extent to safely repatriate those recruited in the Russian Army, arrange their treatment and rescue and bring back the bodies of those killed in the war zone.

"In order for the safe return of the Nepali nationals, the government is continually in correspondence with the Russian side by mobilizing Kathmandu-based Russian Embassy, Moscow-based Nepali Embassy and other measures", the minister added.

At the meeting, the Foreign Affairs Minister informed that the respective families have so far filed applications at the Department of Consular Services about 244 people, also including those deceased and remained out of contact with requests seeking cooperation for safe repatriation of those who joined the Russian military.

The minister urged the families of the concerned Nepali nationals to register their applications at the Department of Consular Services about those recruited in the Russian Army. It would help the government to identify the status of Nepali nationals recruited in the Russian Army, he added. 

Also on the occasion, the minister shared the efforts made with the embassies of Russia and India to this effect.

He further shared that the Russian side has positively responded to some issues raised by Nepal government about its nationals recruited in the Russian Army and the issue of providing compensation to the families of the deceased and the injured has made progress.

The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has directed the government to appoint the vice-chairperson of the Social Welfare Council through open competition.

A meeting of the Committee held in Singha Durbar on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens to appoint a person for the post of vice-chairperson of the Social Welfare Council through open competition.

Since there are old laws in the Social Welfare Council, the meeting directed the Ministry to formulate a new law and present it to the Parliament and conduct a study on 50, 000 non-governmental organizations and prepare a clear policy based on the rationale of the country.

The meeting has also directed the government to issue a white paper about the situation of the use of all kinds of the physical property of the Social Welfare Council within three months and present full details of the amount taken by government employees, council employees and office bearers to conduct monitoring in the five years.

Saying that the Social Welfare Council has not been carrying out works in favor of the country, committee member Amresh Kumar Singh, during the meeting, said that a new organization should be formed by scrapping the Council.

While Singh was trying to walk out of the meeting by floating his opinion, Council Board member Sushila KC suggested Singh to leave the meeting hall only after listening to the answer which created a dispute in the meeting.

Following which, President Rishikish Pokharel directed KC to leave the meeting saying that she breached the parliamentary norms and values.

A team of Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested 10 people including senior Deputy CEO of Prabhu Bank, Manoj Neupane, today.

They were held on the charge of misappropriation of loan, said SP Hobindra Bogati, Spokesperson in the CIB. S

P Bogati confirmed, "We have arrested 10 people. Investigation is underway. We will make their names public once investigation is conducted."

A crowd of debtors breached security arrangements in place at one of the prohibited areas in the Capital—the federal parliament—on Monday and staged a demonstration on its premises in a bid to make the state address their demands—dissolution of microfinances, loan waiver, removal of their names from the black list and freeing up of their collaterals. 

The crowd that had poured in Kathmandu from several districts, mainly from the Tarai, on Sunday after walking for days on end entered through Gate No 3 after adjournment of meetings of both the upper and lower chambers of the parliament, shouted slogans despite warnings from security personnel, leaving the latter overwhelmed. 

Later on, police arrested 48 women and one man for the breach. They are in the custody of Metropolitan Police Circle at Baneshwor. 

It may be noted that the government has already declared several security-sensitive areas, including Singhadurbar, federal parliament premises at New Baneshwor, Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar and the President’s office (Sheetal Niwas at Maharajgunj) prohibited areas, disallowing protests at those addresses. 

In the wake of the breach, Nepal Police headquarters has formed a three-member committee under SSP Dineshraj Mainali to investigate the security breach, with SP Navaraj Adhikari of Kathmandu District Police Circle and DSP Dinesh Ghimire of Kathmandu Valley Police Office as members. 

The committee’s ToR includes preparing and submitting a report by finding holes in security arrangements in place at the restricted area and suggesting corrective measures.  

Meanwhile, Speaker Devraj Ghimire has gathered information about the security breach from Inspector General of Nepal Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the contribution of veteran singer and composer Bhakta Raj Acharya to the field of music will inspire and guide the country's music industry for long.

Dahal, who visited the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama today to pay his tributes to the late singer, emphasized the significant contribution of Acharya to the music industry.

He extended heartfelt condolences to the grieving family.

The mortal remains of the renowned singer have been placed at the Academy since 11 am today for individuals to pay their last tributes.

His last rites will be performed at the Pashupati Aryaghat today itself, it is said.

Kushma Mahara, the Academy's member-secretary, said that people from various walks of life, particularly those from the music field, have assembled at the Academy to pay tributes to the renowned singer, who passed away on Monday at the age of 82.

Acharya's two sons: Satyaraj and Swaroop Raj are also in the music industry.

Born in Dhankuta in 1999 BS, the late Acharya has made significant contributions to over 400 songs.

The body of veteran singer and composer Bhakta Raj Acharya has been kept on the premises of Nepal Academy of Music and Drama in Gaucharan for the final tributes.

Actors, politicians, general public and well-wishers among others have reached the Academy to pay their final tributes.  

Acharya is known as ‘Bhajan Shiromani’ in the Nepali music industry.

He died at the Medicity Hospital at the age of 81 on Monday afternoon.

The last rites of Acharya will be performed at Pashupati Aryaghat today itself.