Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade

Out of 164 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO), 119 member nations have advocated Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade at the 11th World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As of September 2020, 127 World Trade Organisation (WTO) members and observers worldwide have joined the declaration.

However, you must note that India voted against this Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade. Keep reading the article below to learn more about the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade that will help you during your IAS exam preparation.

Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade - An Overview

Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade refers to a non-binding statement aimed at women's financial empowerment by quickly releasing impediments to their active involvement in the trade. This Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade offers a framework for associates of trade organizations to embrace "gender-responsive" business approaches. In addition, under this declaration, the World Trade Organization will likewise determine the hindrances that restrict women's involvement in trade, economic inclusion, and better access to business financing.

This Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade further calls for the empowerment of women entrepreneurs' involvement in shared procurement industries and the inclusion of women-led corporations, especially in MSMEs (Micro, Medium, and Small Enterprise) sectors in value chains.

Apart from this, with this declaration, the World Trade Organization is striving to accomplish gender equality in services company negotiations agenda under Domestic Regulation discipline (one of the significant domains of services negotiations under General Agreement on Trade in Services.

Key Components of the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade

The Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade, endorsed in December 2017, aims to promote a more inclusive business plan that helps all. Some of the key components of the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade are as follows:

• Encouraging the analysis and collection of gender-disaggregated information.
• Sharing nation affairs and good approaches.
• Uniting to increase the profile of the association between gender and trade.

Why Did India Oppose the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade?

The reason India opposed the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade in the 11th World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference is that it deeply advocates gender parity and is very much in favour of encouraging gender concerns. Still, it cannot move further with the belief that gender is a trade-related problem. ‎

India further believes that World Trade Organization is wholly a trade-related institution and not a place where countries can discuss gender or involve in gender-related dialogues. In addition, Indian representatives at the conference further stated that developed nations usually have a high benchmark in gender-related approaches compared to evolving or underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the proposal to associate gender and trade consented then developed countries will restrain exports from the developing nations using 'gender' problems as a non-trade restriction.

It will likewise indirectly prohibit developing nations from empowering their women residents as part of efforts to manage developmental roadblocks. It will also set an example to draw other non-trade problems such as climate and labour concerns into the World Trade Organization's ambit.

FAQs on Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade

Q.1. How many member countries advocate the World Trade Organization's Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade?

Over 127 member countries supported the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade.

Q.2. Did India support the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade?

No, India did not support the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade.

Q.3. When did the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference take place?

The 11th WTO Ministerial Conference took place in Buenos Aires from 10 to 13 December 2017.

Q.4. What are the principal components of the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade?

The key components of the Buenos Aires Declaration on Women and Trade are as follows:

• Encouraging the analysis and collection of gender-disaggregated information.
• Sharing nation affairs and good approaches.
• Uniting to increase the profile of the association between gender and trade.