The Hon. Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) undertook a working visit to the UAE to participate in the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organizations held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) on 26-29 February 2024.
During the conference, Malaysia and seven other members of the WTO deposited their instruments of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) at the opening ceremony of the of the WTO MC13. The ministers of Malaysia, Brunei, Chad, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and Türkiye presented their instruments of acceptance to Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The latest instruments of acceptance brought the total number of WTO members that have formally accepted the Agreement to 70. Hon. Minister in his statement urged all remaining WTO members to join and accelerate their domestic ratification process and contribute to the preservation of marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on fishing. sustainable fishing practices. AFS is a powerful step towards eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which contributed to overfishing, hence preserving the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.
