./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(99)/ST/26
1 December 1999
(99-5224)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Third Session
Seattle, 30 November - 3 December 1999Original:  English
JAPAN
Statement by H.E. Mr. Yohei Kono
Minister for Foreign Affairs
First and foremost, today, at the opening of the historic Third Ministerial Conference of the
World Trade Organization (WTO), I wish to convey, on behalf of the Government of Japan, our
strong determination to ensure the success of this Co nference.  I would also like to express my sincere
gratitude to the Government of the United States, the WTO Secretariat, the City of Seattle, the Seattle
Host Organization as well as all the many individua ls who have made tremendous efforts to convene
this Conference.
Commitment to the multilateral free trade system
As we all know, we have strived to achieve peace and prosperity based on the principles of
freedom and democracy for the past fifty years, learning lessons from the two World Wars and the
Great Depression that occurred in the first half of th is century.  In attaining such goals, the multilateral
free trade system has indeed been the important cornerstone.
From it inception, GATT has served its role as a guardian god in our fight against
protectionism as it has strengthened the rules of international trade and promoted trade liberalization.
The volume of world trade has increased almost twenty times since the beginning of GATT.
Moreover, we have come to address new issues such as trade in services and intellectual property
rights since the establishment of the WTO in 1995.  In the meantime, the multilateral trade system has
also been further enhanced by improving its dispute settlement mechanism.
As we approach the dawn of the 21st century, we need to make an incessant effort to provide
the WTO with more effective functions in this ra pidly changing international economic environment,
while recognizing the significant role that both GATT and the WTO have thus far played.  Toward
that end, it is essential for us to declare the commencement of the very first round of negotiations.
Having enjoyed the benefits of free trade and achieved remarkable economic growth, Japan is
deeply committed to maintaining a nd reinforcing the multilateral free trade system.  Our commitment
is clearly manifested by the fact that not only myself as the Minister for Foreign Affairs but also the
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of International Trade and Industryare also present here.  The three Ministers are fully resolved to make our utmost efforts for the success
of this Conference.
The WTO, in its fifth year, is now faced with two challenges that need to be addressed
urgently.  The first is for the WTO to find ways to ensure the active participation of developing
countries in the new round of negotiations;  this relates to the so-called "implementation issues".
Among the developing countries, which make up three-fourths of the WTO membership, there arecountries which have difficulties implementing the obligations stipulated in the WTO agreements.  InWT/MIN(99)/ST/26
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opening the next round of trade negotiations, we need to squarely tackle this challenge.  As we do, it
is important to conduct a necessary review of the existing rules so that the developing countries can
truly benefit from the WTO.  In this regard, the Japanese Government attaches particular importance
to reviewing the rules on anti-dumping.  Furthermor e, special consideration should be given to the
least-developed countries (LDCs).  Japan intends to make serious efforts to extend tariff-freetreatment to essentially all products originating in such countries.
The second challenge regards growing concerns on various issues related to the deepening of
globalization.  Much attention has been paid these days on the impact of trade liberalization on such
areas as environmental protection, food safety, th e maintenance of rural agrarian communities, and
the preservation of culture and tradition.  The WTO must address these questions, and this is the
second challenge that the WTO currently faces.  In particular, the Organization should properly dealwith such areas, as sustainable development, GMOs, and the preservation and management of
exhaustible natural resources, including forestry and fishery products.  As for agriculture, it is
important to give due consideration to the issues of food security, and the redressing of the imbalance
of rights and obligations between food importing and exporting countries, as well as the
multifunctionality of agriculture.  The Government of Japan is prepared to cooperate with othercountries in negotiations from next year ba sed on Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture.
However, it would not be constructive for some coun tries to try to change the starting line of the
negotiations, or to prejudge the outcome of the negotiations when negotiations are about to
commence.
In addition to the two challenges I have laid out, we must also continue to pursue other issues
for the ideal state of what the WTO should be in the 21
st century.  For this purpose, it is important to
respond to new issues such as investment and elec tronic commerce in the next round of negotiations.
Furthermore, we intend to continue our efforts to accelerate the accession processes for the
31 applicants which are currently preparing to join the WTO, in order to make the WTO truly auniversal organization.
In conclusion we are now required to tackle numerous issues for which the path to solution
has become ever more difficult to find.  We, Ministers present here, must, therefore, strongly commit
ourselves to the cause of the multilateral free trading system and take the initiative for the success of
this Conference.  Here in Seattle are gathered not only those representing the government of
respective countries but also many participants from non-governmental organizations.  Thisdemonstrates the high degree of interests held by the civil society.  The issues and concerns for each
person may differ from one another, but it is paramount that the peoples of all over the world
endeavour for the launch of the new round with the spirit of cooperation, recognizing the historic
significance of the negotiations.  I would, on my part, like to pledge that Japan will exert all-out
efforts to make this Conference a shining chapter in the history of the WTO.
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