WTO concludes advanced workshop on agriculture notifications
The four-day programme provides participants with an overview of key agricultural issues in the WTO, with particular attention to domestic support, market access, and other related agricultural topics. Through practical training sessions, participants gained hands-on experience in preparing and submitting agriculture notifications.
The workshop also offered guidance on the use of the WTO's Agriculture Information Management System (AG-IMS), enabling members to access notification data and familiarize themselves with the review processes undertaken in the Committee on Agriculture.
"Transparency lies at the heart of the multilateral trading system," said Edwini Kessie, Director of the WTO Agriculture and Commodities division, in opening remarks at the workshop.
WTO members are obligated to submit notifications to the Committee on Agriculture as outlined here. But while WTO members have submitted over 7,000 notifications concerning agriculture since the Agreement on Agriculture entered into force in 1995, more than 2,000 notifications remain outstanding.
Mr. Kessie encouraged participants to make full use of the workshop as an opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss common challenges and explore practical approaches to strengthening their notification practices.
The programme included country presentations for peer learning among participants. Representatives from Colombia, Morocco and the Philippines shared their national experiences in preparing agriculture notifications, outlining both achievements and lessons learned in the process. Their presentations provided valuable insights into approaches taken to address administrative and technical challenges.
A roundtable discussion featuring delegates from Brazil, Indonesia, Lesotho, New Zealand and Türkiye offered participants an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the work of the Committee on Agriculture. Speakers shared perspectives on the review process and underscored the contribution of transparency to the effective functioning of the WTO's agricultural framework.
Participants also took part in a dedicated "Notification Clinic", where they were able to engage directly with Secretariat staff to discuss specific questions related to the preparation of notifications.
Feedback from participants indicated that the four-day notification workshop was particularly useful in enhancing their understanding of notification requirements, including the classification of domestic support measures and the information needed to complete submissions.
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