India has opposed a draft outcome that seeks to give only an overseeing role to the General Council in the reform process of the WTO.
It insisted that the Council, which is the highest-level decision-making body in the WTO, and its subsidiary bodies conduct the work, review progress and take decisions.
The draft outcome text proposes, in square brackets, that either the General Council will oversee the reform work or the council and its subsidiary bodies will conduct the work. Square brackets mean that the text is not yet agreed and consultations are on.
“We want the text to clearly specify where the reform work will be carried out. If the General Council only oversees it, then there are chances of the talks becoming open-ended,” said one negotiator, who did not wish to be identified.