At the latest Committee on Agriculture special session, World Trade Organization (WTO) members approved the appointment of Ambassador Hussain as the new chair for agriculture negotiations. This decision follows a brief round of consultations in which members conveyed their readiness to collaborate with Hussain to address various interests and concerns.
Ambassador Hussain steps into the role previously held by Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy, Türkiye's former Permanent Representative to the WTO. Hussain acknowledged Acarsoy's efforts to reconcile differing viewpoints and his achievements in producing a draft text for the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi.
In addition to his duties as chair, Hussain will also lead the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session's Subcommittee on Cotton. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the significance of this appointment, noting agriculture's anticipated prominence at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14). She remarked, “We just need to bear in mind that what we are doing here is beyond the halls of this organization. It is actually something that will have tremendous impact on the outside world.” She also pointed out the instability in global food security.
Okonjo-Iweala underscored the potential for meaningful outcomes from these negotiations, even amidst challenging trade conditions. “This is a unique opportunity for us to show that we can actually pull off a good effort and result out of these agricultural negotiations,” she expressed, urging creative solutions to ensure progress.
In his inaugural address, Ambassador Hussain commented on the prospects of MC14, highlighting it as a chance to strengthen agricultural trade rules. He stated, “An outcome at MC14 should be a pragmatic step forward. With limited time remaining, we must concentrate on what is both achievable and truly meaningful.”
Hussain plans to begin his term by consulting with delegations and group coordinators. These initial meetings will pave the way for an informal session and specific discussions on public food stockholding and the “special safeguard mechanism” later this month, where he will share insights from his consultations and consider future strategies.