The World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in Geneva have been postponed because of the new covid variant Omicron.
It would have been the first WTO ministerial meeting in four years and was due to start this week. But travel restrictions would have meant delegates from countries like South Africa would not have been able to attend.
South Africa was at the forefront of the campaign to reduce intellectual property (IP) costs for anti-covid drugs to make them more affordable for poorer countries.
This dispute was expected to dominate the meeting and push aside New Zealand’s desires for less government assistance to farmers in other countries, such as the United States.
Trade Minister Damien O’Connor had travelled to Geneva to push for better rules for agriculture, but will not get a chance to even make an attempt for any improvement.
Another NZ concern, ending subsidised fishing, was far closer to agreement but it too will now have to wait.
