. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/ST/64
12 September 2003
(03-4836)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth Session
Cancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  English
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Statement by the Honourable Pehin Dato Abdul Rahman Taib
Minister of Industry and Primary Resources
To begin with, I would like to thank you, the Government of Mexico and the people of
Cancún for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements for our meeting in this beautiful city.
I would also like to congratulate Cambodia and Nepal on the successful completion of their
accession procedures and welcome them into the World Trade Organization.
On behalf of the Government of Brunei Darussalam and my delegation, I take this
opportunity to convey our deepest condolences to the Swedish Government and the family of the
Foreign Minister, Her Excellency the late Ms Anna Lindh, on her tragic demise.
At our last meeting in Doha nearly two years ago, we launched what has come to be known as
the Doha Development Agenda.  Since then, our Ambassadors in Geneva and trade negotiators have
worked very hard under the auspices of the Trade Negotiations Committee and its sub-fora to deliver
on the promise of a balanced outcome.
Despite some progress, consensus has largely been elusive.  Nevertheless, I am happy to join
colleagues in welcoming the Decision on the Implementation of Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration
on TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.  It is indeed a positive development which demonstrates that
we have the political will to deal with the challenges faced in other areas.
This is an excellent and timely opportunity to strengthen the multilateral trading system and
ensure its continued primacy.
Turning now to those challenges, I would lik e to share our views on some of the major
issues in the Doha work programme.
With regard to the negotiations on market access for non-agricultural products, we
acknowledge the ongoing work and we hope that the eventual result would be a balanced one.  We
also note that additional approaches, including sectoral elimination or harmonization, have been
proposed.  We are of the view that these should only be undertaken on a voluntary basis.
We also acknowledge the work undertaken by the working groups on the "Singapore Issues".
Nevertheless, we are of the view that many substantive issues remain to be clarified.  The
clarification process should thus continue.  In accordance with the need for "explicit consensus",
the wide divergence of views precludes the launch of negotiations.WT/MIN(03)/ST/64
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Last but not least, we see the proposed Annex on Special and Differential Treatment as a
package worthy for adoption.  We look forward to work on the pending proposals being intensified
and satisfactorily concluded.
A major test of the Doha Development Agenda is how it will deliver on its promise of
increasing market access for the products and services of developing countries.  Expectations were
raised two years ago in Doha.  My most sincere hope is that these be lived up to.
Globalization should not only mean that the markets of developing c ountries are opened to
products and services from the developed c ountries.  It should also entail the breaking down of barriers
such as quotas and overly onerous health and sanitary regulations and technical obstacles that hinder
the exports of developing countries to developed countries.
Technical assistance and capacity-building are also essential in this regard.  Such activities, as
the Doha Ministerial Declaration stipulates, should be geared towards assisting developing countries
to draw on the benefits, not merely to implement the obligations, of the WTO agreements.
To conclude, our meeting here in Cancún is meant to serve as a mid-term review of progress
in advancing the work programme agreed to in Doha.  A spirit of pragmatism and flexibility will be
necessary as we redouble our efforts to forge a consensus that ensures a successful outcome for all.
I remain confident that this task, difficult as it appears, is not insurmountable.
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