Indian officer Anwar Hussain Shaik is new chair of WTO committee

After a gap of ten years, an Indian Government Officer —Anwar Hussain Shaik — has been made the chair of the World Trade Organisation’s Committee on Technical Barriers on Trade, an official said.

Mr. Shaik will take this role from Elisa Maria Olmeda de Alejandro from Mexico.

“Our officer posted in PMI (Permanent Mission of India) Geneva has been made the chair of this TBT committee. Last time an Indian was a chair was ten years back,” the official said.

The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures are non-discriminatory and do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade.

TBT Committee work involves two broad areas — review of specific measures and strengthening implementation of the TBT Agreement.

WTO members use this committee to discuss specific trade concerns, specific laws, regulations or procedures that affect their trade, usually in response to notifications.

WTO is a 164-member multilateral body which formulate rules for global exports and imports and adjudicates disputes between countries on trade-related issues. India is a member since 1995.