WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/121
12 November 2001
(01-5718)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth Session
Doha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  English
MALAWI
Statement by the Honourable Peter Kaleso MP
Minister of Commerce and Industry
First of all, let me join the previous speakers  in thanking the Government and people of the
Islamic Republic of Qatar for their warm welcome.  I am also thankful for the excellent facilities
made available for this important conference.
This conference is of historical and far-reaching importance in that it will lay the foundation
for the programme that will guide the multilateral trading system.  It is the expectation of my
delegation that the outcome of the conference will facilitate the economic growth and reduction of
poverty in Member states of the WTO, particularly the least-developed countries (LDCs).
LDCs are very much on the margin of the multi lateral trading system under the WTO.  In this
regard, Malawi believes that the start of the new Round of negotiations should be premised on the full
implementation of the commitments made by the developed countries during the last Round and on
the evaluation of their effects.  We believe that it would be more fruitful for the multilateral trading
system to get into new negotiations after the WTO membership has taken stock of what has been
achieved following the last Ministerial Conferences, especially with respect to resolvingimplementation problems, removing imbalances in the existing agreements and making operational
the decisions on the special measures for the LDCs.
Malawi, a keen Member of the WTO and an active participant in the sub-regional integration
groupings of COMESA and SADC, today faces seve re economic problems, including the declining
prices of its major exports, weak competitiveness, supply-side constraints and weak institutional and
human capacity.  These problems adversely affect the country's export earnings and balance of
payments position.  Regrettably, these issues are not fully covered under the WTO framework.
We, therefore, propose that development issues should be accorded the highest priority in the
WTO.  For the multilateral trading system to ta ke an inclusive approach and to bring into its
mainstream the poor Members, it should focus on development.  In this regard, the future agenda of
the WTO should include the following priorities:
- The provision of assistance to develop and improve infrastructure for trade,
particularly transport systems aimed at minimizing the constraints arising from being
landlocked;
- the examination of the structure of commodity markets and the resulting low prices;
- the establishment of a trust fund to assist LDCs in meeting the costs of the
implementation of WTO Agreements and other international obligations;  and
- the establishment of institutions to facilitate the transfer of technology.WT/MIN(01)/ST/121
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As an LDC, we face difficulties in implementing the Uruguay Round Agreements.  The
difficulties faced are primarily attributed to weak and inadequate institutional capacity of the local
implementing agencies in Malawi.  The main constraints which we face are:
1. The inadequate human and financial constraints to enable the country to review and
align its laws, rules and regulations to WTO requirements;
2. the lack of adequate technical assistance;  and3. the lack of financial resources and legal expertise to utilize the dispute settlement
mechanism.
I would like to say that, on implementation is sues, emphasis should be put on improving the
market access for developing countries, especially the LDCs, and also on strengthening their capacity
to enable them to fully participate in the global tr ading system.  Specifically, Malawi is asking that a
system of review and evaluation be established which would consider, among other things:
- The implementation of the special and differential treatment provisions;
- the progress on technical assistance, in particular, the putting into operation of the
Integrated Framework (IF) and the widening of the country coverage of the JITAP
Programme;  and
- the impact of the various agreements on LDCs.
On the negotiations on trade in agriculture, I wish to stress the importance of market access
for agricultural exports.  Agriculture is the mainstay of Malawi's economy and, I am sure, of many
other countries.  Food security and the sustenance of agriculture-based livelihoods are some of the
important developmental goals for many developing countries.  But export subsidies administered bysome Members on agricultural exports have distorted the markets and rendered our exports
uncompetitive.  An inclusive approach to the running of the multilateral trading system requires that
this organization should consider the following issues:
- Duty free and quota free markets for the poorest Members and making concessional
market arrangements sustainable by binding them under the WTO;
- the provision of adequate technical and financial assistance to LDCs to enable them
to increase their local food production and strengthen capacity in marketing, storage
and distribution;
- the exemption of LDCs from undertaking commitments on domestic support and
export subsidies;  and
- the elimination of non-tariff barriers in agricultural trade.
With regard to TRIPS, Malawi, like many other developing countries, are looking for easy
access to essential drugs.  The issues of patents should not cloud the fact that many people are in dire
need.  Many people are dying because of the lack of access to cheap drugs.  Malawi, therefore,
supports the adoption of a separate Ministerial Declaration on Intellectual Property and Public Health,stating that Members shall be free to take measures to protect public health.
Malawi welcomes the recent initiatives undertaken by the European Union and the United
States of America in favour of LDCs, notably the Everything-But-Arms (EBA) and the Africa Growth
and Opportunity Act (AGOA) respectively.  Nonethel ess, there is a need to relax the stringent
application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical standards, rules of origin, etc.
There is also a need to consider extending the periods for the concessions and binding the
arrangements to create an environment of certainty for investors and traders.  Let me also call on theWT/MIN(01)/ST/121
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WTO to grant the requisite waivers for the non-reciprocal arrangements in favour of developing
countries and LDCs, including th e ACP/EU Partnership Agreement.
On technical assistance, Malawi proposes that more technical assistance should be targeted at
developing countries and LDCs to support various programmes for development, including thefollowing:
- Implementation of WTO commitments;
- efforts to overcome supply-side constraints and to diversify the production base;
- transfer of technology;
- trade facilitation;
- institutional capacity building;  and- human resource development.
All in all, my delegation would like to support the calls by other delegations that the WTO be
development-oriented.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the WTO Secretariat, the various Governments and
Donor Agencies for the assistance given to Malawi.  A lot more needs to be done to get the
developing countries and LDCs integrated into th e WTO.  A working multilateral trading system will
boost the global economic development and, therefore, will strengthen the pillars of world peace.
Talking about peace, my delegation would like to join those who have spoke before us in condemningacts of terrorism in various parts of the world, including the recent horrible attacks on the United
States.
Finally, but not least, I would like to reiterate Malawi's commitment to the implementation of
the WTO Agreements.  Malawi, like any other LDC, will strive to contribute to the strengthening ofthe multilateral trading system despite the financial and human resources at our disposal.  It is our
hope that given the support to the WTO cooperating partners, Malawi can fully integrate into the
multilateral trading system.
Finally, on behalf of Malawi Government, I welcome the People's Republic of China and
China Taipei for their accession to the WTO.  Thei r membership will indeed contribute positively to
the multilateral trading system.
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