Question 67 from UPSC CSE 2015 - Current Affairs

Question

The terms 'Agreement on Agriculture', 'Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures', and 'Peace Clause' appear in the news frequently in the context of the affairs of the

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. World Trade Organization

Strategy: Focus on the specific names—'Agreement on Agriculture', 'Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures', and 'Peace Clause'. All are formal agreements or provisions specifically under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime, not United Nations agencies. These are core to the global trade rules affecting agriculture and trade barriers, making WTO the only plausible fit.

Key Info: The World Trade Organization (WTO) oversees global trade rules among nations.

- The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is a WTO instrument negotiated during the Uruguay Round (1986–94) to reform trade in agriculture and make policies more market-oriented. It covers domestic support, market access, and export subsidies.
- The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) outlines how governments can apply food safety and animal and plant health regulations. It allows for protection while minimizing unjustified trade barriers.
- The 'Peace Clause' refers to Article 13 of the AoA, which temporarily shielded some subsidy programs from WTO legal challenge, particularly concerning domestic support and export subsidies, providing developing countries certain protections in the context of food security.

Neither the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), nor United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are responsible for these agreements; they are exclusive to the legal-economic domain of the WTO.

Answer

Option A: Food and Agriculture Organization

Answer

Option B: United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change

Answer

Option D: United Nations Environment Programme