ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s top aide -- Dr Syed Tauqir Shah -- has been nominated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to facilitate negotiations on agriculture at the organisation’s upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) scheduled to be held in Cameroon from March 26-29.
Widely known as Dr T in the political and bureaucratic circles, Shah currently serves as an adviser to the prime minister with the status of a federal minister and oversees the Prime Minister’s Office. He will lead consultations among member states on one of the most contentious issues in global trade.
Agriculture negotiations are widely regarded as the most complex area within the WTO framework due to longstanding differences between developed and developing countries over farm subsidies, market access and food security.
The WTO ministerial conference, the organisation’s highest decision-making forum, is held every two years. The previous meeting, MC13, took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where members struggled to bridge divisions on agriculture, fisheries subsidies and development issues. Sources say Dr Shah’s selection reflects his long experience in international trade diplomacy and multilateral negotiations.
A senior officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, Dr Shah previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the WTO in Geneva, where he also chaired the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment. During his tenure, he served on a dispute settlement panel adjudicating a trade case between the United States and Russia related to steel duties.
He has also represented Pakistan as executive director at the World Bank Group and currently sits on the executive board of UNESCO.
It is said that his role at MC14 will involve steering consultations among WTO members and attempting to build consensus on reforms related to agricultural subsidies, domestic support and food security measures.
Such facilitation roles are typically assigned to individuals who command broad confidence among member states, making Dr Shah’s nomination a notable recognition for Pakistan within the multilateral trading system.
