This note examines the ongoing negotiations in the Committee on Agriculture from the perspective of seven South and Southeast Asian countries. It identifies several commonalities among the agricultural sectors of these countries including the economic importance of the sector in providing employment, the resilience of the sector throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of the sector in post COVID-19 recovery plans.
The note suggests that these commonalities can be the basis for delegates from these countries to identify and advance a common agenda within the agriculture negotiations at the WTO, and thus provides several concrete recommendations for delegates to pursue ahead of WTO MC12 and beyond.