. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/W/146
3 April 2001
(01-1652)
Committee on Agriculture
Special SessionOriginal:  English
SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
22-23 MARCH 2001
Statement by Swaziland
G/AG/NG/W/136  (Proposal by Kenya)1. The Swaziland delegation would like to declare its support for the overall thrust of the
proposal tabled by Kenya (pap er G/AG/NG/W/136) .  The paper helps to bring out different
dimensions of the development problems faced by  developing countries (DCs) and the possible
solutions that would impact positively on the agricultural sector as well as the overall economy.  A lot
of the problems raised in the Kenya paper are also of relevance to Swaziland which is a small DC.
2. There are just two points that Swaziland would like to highlight in the Kenya paper.  One
deals with the dilemma facing DCs who are also beneficiaries under special market access
arrangements.  The other is the operationalization of the concept of special and differential (S&D)
treatment for DCs.  These will be discussed briefly in turn; starting with the first.
3. Kenya points out an important dilemma faced by a number of DCs in making proposals for
the reform of agricultural trade.  On the one hand, Kenya recognizes "the importance of non-
reciprocal preferential market access" as it has had a positive impact on its own economic progress.
On the other hand, it is wary of "the loss that may accrue from erosion of tariff preferences as a result
of MFN reductions".  This dilemma is further complicated by the difficulty of competing with
products from some more developed countries (MDCs) because of the domestic support and exportsubsidies that they receive.
4. It is often the very close linkages between market access preferences on the one hand and
domestic support as well as export subsidies on the other hand, which make the dilemma rather
intractable.  In other words, the problem is the close linkage between the benefits accruing to some
exporters in the DCs under the preferential market access arrangements and the benefits accruing to
producers in the MDCs.  Because of this reality, it is  not a simple matter to call for the elimination of
one without taking into account the impact that it will have on the other.  It is for this reason that
Swaziland has called in its own submission (pap er G/AG/NG/W/95) for imagination, innovation and
flexibility when handling the issues of preferential market access on the one hand and domesticsupport as well as export subsidies on the other hand.
5. The second point relates to S&D treatment for DCs.  Swaziland supports Kenya's position that
"there is a need for fundamental re-conceptualization of what should constitute the S&D provisions".
We further support the view that "S&D provisions should target at filling the gaps between developedcountries and developing countries in terms of supply capacity, economic development and financial
resources so as to enable developing countries face multilateral trade rules and disciplines without
further burdening the domestic population in terms of, among others, food insecurity and perpetuation
of poverty".  It is in this context that an imagina tive, innovative and flexible application of preferential
market access arrangements can become one extremely useful option.G/AG/NG/W/146
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6. As a concluding point, it is pertinent to mention that a genuine increase in global welfare will
occur if and only if there is no DC made worse off in the wake of applying WTO rules and
disciplines.  Welfare gains by some DCs cannot compensate for the welfare loss of others.  This is a
basic principle in welfare economics.
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