RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is committed to strengthening agricultural reform negotiations in the lead-up to the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), scheduled for March 26–29, 2026, in Cameroon.

Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the conference should be used as momentum to revive WTO agricultural talks, which have stagnated in recent years. “Indonesia emphasizes that the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference must be utilized to reinvigorate agricultural negotiations. As coordinator of the G-33, Indonesia urges that WTO agricultural reform remain development-oriented,” Minister Budi said in Jakarta on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He explained that reform must prioritize food security, the welfare of smallholder farmers, and national development interests. These aspects, he said, should be reflected in a fairer global agricultural policy direction.

The G-33 Ministerial Meeting carries the theme “G-33 Priorities and Collective Action toward MC-14 for Advancing Inclusive WTO Agricultural Negotiation.” One of its main agendas is to harmonize the G-33 Joint Ministerial Statement to be delivered at the WTO conference.

According to Minister Budi, the statement will reaffirm the G-33 ministers’ commitment to strengthening a rules-based, fair, inclusive, and transparent multilateral trading system, with the WTO as its foundation.

Indonesia continues to push for priority issues for developing countries to remain on the agenda. These include Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes (PSH), the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) to address import surges, and Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT).

Minister Budi said Indonesia, together with G-33 members, will continue to strengthen coordination to ensure that developing countries’ priorities are addressed in agricultural reform discussions ahead of the ministerial conference.

“Indonesia’s active leadership in this forum reaffirms the national commitment to fighting for a more inclusive, responsive, and development-oriented multilateral trading system, particularly in supporting food security and the welfare of smallholder farmers,” he said. ***