   
  
WT/GC/W/908  
 
1 December 2023  
(23-8192) Page: 1/2 
General Council  Original: English  
 
 
MC13 – IMMEDIATE STEPS TO RESPOND TO FOOD INSECURITY  
COMMUNICATION FROM SINGAPORE  
The following communication, dated 1 December 2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Singapore.  
 
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Concerned that high prices, excessive volatility and trade disruptions, particularly through export 
restrictions, for food and agricultural products continue to undermine food security and nutrition for 
all Members;  
 
Recalling the mandates from the MC12 Ministerial Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food 
Insecurity, which underscore the need for agri -food trade to f low and reaffirm the importance of not 
imposing export prohibitions or restrictions in a manner inconsistent with relevant WTO provisions. 
Any emergency measures introduced to address food security concerns shall minimize trade 
distortions as far as possib le; be temporary, targeted, and transparent; and be notified and 
implemented in accordance with WTO rules. Members imposing such measures should take into 
account their possible impact on other Members, particularly developing countries, least -developed 
and net food -importing developing countries;  
 
Acknowledging Members ' rights under Article XI:2(a) of the GATT 1994 to temporarily apply export 
prohibitions or restrictions to prevent or relieve critical shortages of foodstuffs or other products 
essential to the exporting Member;  
 
Recogni zing the role of a fair and market -oriented agricultural trading system, and policy tools such 
as public stockholding programmes for food security purposes towards achieving food security in the 
long-term;  
 
Recogni zing that greater transparency and international cooperation on export restrictions would 
contribute to addressing Members ' ongoing food security challenges, and would be complementary 
to strengthening the multilateral trading system and progressing agriculture  reform;  
 
We, the Ministers, meeting in Abu Dhabi from 26 to 29 February 2024 at our Thirteen th 
Session of the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, have adopted this 
Declaration on Immediate Steps to Respond to Food Insecurity.  
 
1. We resolve to ensure that export prohibitions or restrictions instituted in accordance with 
Article XI:2(a) of the GATT 1994 are promptly notified, as far in advance as practicable and 
no later than the entry into force of the measure, to the Committee on Agr iculture, in 
accordance with Article 12.1(b) of the Agreement on Agriculture.  
 
2. Pursuant to Article 12.1(b) of the Agreement on Agriculture and prior to instituting an export 
prohibition or restriction, we commit to  engage in consultation with any other Mem ber having 
a substantial interest as an importer  with a view to minimize trade distortions and ensure 
food security, including through exemptions on the export of essential or critical foodstuff or 
adopting alternative measures that are less trade restrict ive. These consultations shall take 
place as soon as possible.  
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  3. We commit to refrain from imposing export prohibitions or restrictions on essential foodstuff 
imported by least -developed countries, even in circumstances set out in Article XI:2(a) of 
the GAT T 1994.  
 
4. Recalling the temporary nature of export restrictions and prohibitions, we instruct the 
Committee on Agriculture to hold dedicated sessions on a semi -annual basis to review 
Members ' export prohibitions and restrictions. This review process shall b e undertaken on 
the basis of timely notifications under the relevant provisions of the Agreement on 
Agriculture and related decisions, complemented by information submitted by Members or 
compiled by the WTO Secretariat. We also encourage the discussion of best practices relating 
to transparency in export prohibitions and restrictions.  
 
5. We commit to minimize unnecessary restrictions or impediments creating barriers to trade 
affecting global supply chains in the trade of agricultural goods/foodstuffs. In the event of a 
supply chain disruption, we commit to avoid unnecessary actions that would exacerbate 
shortages and significantly impact the global supply chains of the trade in agricultural 
goods/foodstuffs.  
 
6. In order to further assist Members in the implement ation of Article s 12 and 18 of the 
Agreement on Agriculture and paragraphs 2 and 3 of this document, we instruct the 
Secretariat to provide to the Committee on Agriculture annual data on the volumes and 
values of exports and imports of all food and feed pr oducts included in Annex I of the 
Agreement on an individual Member basis to assist Members to identify if a Member is a net -
food exporter of the foodstuff concerned . 
 
7. We note that food security is multifaceted and requires effective collaboration between the 
WTO and other relevant international organisations1 to collectively address global food 
security challenges while recogni zing their respective mandates. We instruct the WTO 
Secretariat to explore ways to reinvigorate and strengthen the cooperation bet ween the WTO 
and other relevant international organisations, including regular interagency engagements.  
 
8. We instruct the Committee on Agriculture (Special Session) to continue to consider in greater 
detail relevant submissions that have been received to da te, examine any additional 
proposals that Members might wish to submit and, where possible, and within its mandate, 
undertake actions on any of these proposals, as appropriate.  
 
9. Recogni zing that domestic production of foodstuff, along with resilient global  supply chains,  
play a vital role in improving global food security in all its dimensions and enhancing 
nutrition, we commit to continue our negotiations in the Committee on Agriculture (Special 
Session) to establish a fair and market -oriented agriculture trading system through 
substantial progressive reductions in support and protection resulting in fundamental 
reform, bearing in mind all existing mandates relevant to the agriculture negotiations, as set 
out in Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture, a nd the Bali and Nairobi Ministerial 
Decisions.  
 
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1 Relevant International Organizations  would include the United Nations Food and Agriculture 
Organization , the United Nations World Food Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, 
the International Grains Council, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United 
Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Interna tional Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, and 
Regional Development Banks. 