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The WTO plays a very integral part in achieving the sustainable development goals and its agenda set for 2030 help in achieving sustainable growth. Transport and goods is the two most important things for poverty reduction, health and economic development. Which are the major problems all around the globe not just in India. Sustainable development governance needs to focus on improving the connectivity so that agenda set for 2030 can be met as soon as possible. But how do trade reforms help in sustainable development governance? 

You must be wondering that what sustainable development governance is. IDDRI said ‘Sustainable development is the promise of a response to a number of issues and governance is the coordination to that response’. This simply means that SDGs are set by the United Nations general assembly. So that people all around the globe people get and sustainable and a better future. They address the globe challenges which are faced by majority part of the world. The amends made by the government to achieve these goals is sustainable development governance. All the countries may not have the same policies. Because each country has its own problems so each country should make policies keeping their people in mind.

Role of WTO

WTO is in the business of expanding trade for the purpose of growth. It does so removing barriers and establishing a smooth trade practice. A country with a smooth trade practice is to function better on the economic side of the development. 700 million people still live in extreme poverty and 821 million people are undernourish. People dying of hunger and poverty is the problem with each in every economy. Whether the country is develop, developing or under develop. This is where the governance comes into play according to the requirement of the country. It is fact that increase trade practices can result in better standard of living and reducing inequality.

Out of the 17 SDGs present in the list WTO can have a very significant effect on 10 of them. Out of which three have already been discuss. Rest of them are good health and well being, gender equality, decent work. And economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduce inequalities life below water and partnership for the goals. Let’s see how WTO contributes in each of the field.

There are many diseases to which some countries are yet to find a cure. Some have found a cure to it. These few people in order to make profit from their hard work sell these medicines at a very high cost. It is not affordable to most section society. Making these medicines available for all is the primary task.

Gender Inequality & Trade

Gender inequality has been the address very recently people always had issues. But were not willing to do anything but from the past 2-3 decade. There has been tremendous growth in the amount of female employer or employee. Because of the increase job opportunities created by the trade sector. Increase in job opportunities has also contributed immensely in the decent work and economic growth agenda. Competition is such that nowadays industries do not just work on man power they need to equip themselves with latest technology. Free trade has been identified as the key factor which contributes in the transfer of technology which results in industrialization.

 Trade expansion is perceive as an anti-environmental/antisocial force driven by the desire for increase profits, jobs, consumption and production.  Many believed that trade liberalization would not do any good for the environment on the contrary it deplete the resources even faster. The WTO response is that, for benefits to be realize and for trade-induce growth to be sustainable, national environmental, income distribution and social policies should be put in place.

Trade Liberalization

The view is that trade liberalization is not the cause of environmental degradation, poverty or unacceptable social conditions, nor are trade instruments the first-best policy for addressing such matters. After making such a proposal in 1994, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development was mandate by governments to provide the institutional coordination necessary to undertake an assessment of the environmental and social development aspects of trade policies. In 2017 a step forward to prohibit subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and over fishing and eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal unreported and unregulate fishing.

Conclusion

Sustainable development goals only be achieve when it cross bread with the government making suitable policies. WTO shows how constructive pressure by public interest groups can bring important issues to the attention of negotiators. And it should not be forgot that along with liberalization should not be on the cost of environment degradation. It should have utmost importance because there no sustainable development without a natural inhabitation. This definitely does not mean that other SDGs are not important but both should go hand in hand.


Anurag Singh

B.A.LL.B. Student from ILS Law College, Pune

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