WTO deal 'doable' to stop subsidies that lead to over-fishing
After two decades of talks at the World Trade Organization towards banning subsidies that contribute to over-fishing, the lead negotiator said Tuesday that a deal could be within reach.
"It's time to sprint for the finish line," Colombian ambassador Santiago Wills, who is chair of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, told reporters from the WTO headquarters in Geneva.
It is widely agreed that action is needed against over-fishing, which is stripping the seas of a hugely important resource that millions of people depend on for their livelihoods.
After missing the last deadline to reach an agreement in December 2020, negotiations have accelerated in recent months.
New WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who took the reins of the global trade body in March, has made clinching the long-awaited fisheries deal one of her top priorities, and has called for a breakthrough by July.
Reaching any kind of an agreement at the WTO can be a struggle, since all decisions require a consensus among all member states.
"I know it will not be easy for 164 members to reach consensus, but it is doable," Wills insisted.
He said he had presented a new draft text to delegations, proposing "compromise...