WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/93
20May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2111)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Statement Circulated bytheHon. Daniel Enele Kwainairara,
Minister forCommerce andTrade
Iwould liketospeak briefly onthequestion ofimplementation ofourWTO obligations. As
delegates arenodoubt aware Solomon Islands iscurrently undergoing aTrade Policy Review. We
wishtocongratulate theWTO Secretariat onthehighly professional work donebytheTPRDivision
thusfar.However theSolomon Islands Government feelsthattheTrade Policy Review Division is
inadequately resourced toundertake thetypeofanalysis required indeveloping andleast-developed
countries. Wearehopeful thatinthecoming years more resources willbedevoted tothisimportant
task.
Following ourTrade Policy Review inSeptember theSolomon Islands willaccelerate its
current programme ofimplementation ofourWTO obligations. Solomon Islands willbeseeking
bilateral aswellasmultilateral technical assistance toimplement itsobligations.
LastOctober attheHigh-Level Meeting forLDCs heldhereinGeneva wewereassured that
anintegrated programme ofassistance would beavailable forLDCs. TheSolomon Islands withthe
assistance ofUNCTAD undertook athorough needs assessment survey. Regrettably thisprogramme
hasyettobeimplemented intheSolomon Islands.
Iwould liketomake several comments regarding theaccession ofleast-developed countries.
AsMembers arenodoubt aware three Pacific Island countries Tonga, Samoa andVanuatu areinthe
process ofaccession totheWTO. Thelatter twoareleast-developed countries. Weareconcerned
thatintheprocess ofaccession some ofthelarger WTO Members arerequiring terms ofaccession
thatdonotreflect existing WTO provisions onspecial anddifferential treatments forLDCs. Weask
thattheDirector-General oftheWTO seektheconcurrence oftheGeneral Council thatallexisting
WTO rights regarding special anddifferential treatment forLDCs beextended automatically and
without negotiation toallleast-developed countries acceding totheWTO.
Iwould liketospeak verybriefly onthenewissues. Solomon Islands, asaleast-developed
country, hasyettoimplement fully allofitsobligations thatstem from theUruguay Round
Agreements. Asaresult theGovernment oftheSolomon Islands would notencourage newissues to
beintroduced untilsuchtimeasallWTO Members, andthisespecially includes theleast-developed
countries haveimplemented thecovered multilateral agreements oftheUruguay Round.
Asdelegates arenodoubt aware there hasbeenconsiderable discussion onthequestion ofa
multilateral agreement oninvestment bothattheOECD andnowattheWTO. Over thelast50years
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wehaveliberalized thetrade ingoods andservices. Wehavecreated rules onintellectual property.
Now developed countries seekrules thatwould liberalize andfacilitate international movement of
capital. Inthepastdeveloping andinparticular least-developed countries have notbeen heavily
involved inmultilateral trade negotiations. Infuture thiswillnotandcannot bethecase.
Ifdeveloped countries seektheliberalization ofrulesonthemovement ofcapital thenitseems
onlyobvious thatdeveloping countries thatexport labour suchasthePacific Island countries, among
others, would seekasimilar andequivalent obligation fromdeveloped countries inthelabour market.
Ifthedeveloped countries want anMAI thenwewillagree when itisdone intandem with
anMAL -aMultilateral Agreement onLabour.
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