WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/87
11December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5256)
Original: French MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
TOGO
Statement byH.E. Mr.Elom Komi Dadzie
Minister forTrade andIndustry
Iamhonoured andtrulyproud tobeabletoaddress thisesteemed assembly ontheoccasion
oftheFirstMinisterial Conference oftheWTO, ourfledgling buthighly dynamic institution.
Allow methepleasure oftransmitting toyoutheassurance oftheGovernment ofTogo'ssupport
fortheobjectives pursued bythisConference.
Iwould alsoliketoextend ourheartfelt thanks totheGovernment andpeople ofSingapore
forthehospitality andcaretheyhaveshown ussince ourarrival inthisbeautiful country.
Finally, Iwould liketoexpress mysincere thanks andgratitude totheWTO Member States,
whose generosity andspirit ofsolidarity haveenabled theleastdeveloped countries (LDCs), including
Togo, toberepresented hereatthisConference.
Although new,ourOrganization hasproved, andmustconfirm, itsroleasaninstitution destined
torelieve theLDCs oftheirpoverty. Iamnotsuggesting thattheWTO represents theonlyremedy
tothenumerous troubles afflicting oureconomies. Indeed, theAfrican continent accounts forhalf
oftheworld 'sLDCs: hunger, malnutrition, endemic diseases, poverty anddestitution continue to
plague ourcountries, where water, nottomention drinking water, isascarce commodity. Allofthese
challenges mustbeovercome withthecooperation ofthespecialized institutions concerned ifwehope
toliveinaneconomically andsocially more balanced world overthenextfewdecades.
Globalization, liberalization, integration: thesearesome ofthethemes dealtwithbytheWTO,
andindeed,theyareamongtheOrganization'sobjectives.ButwhatdotheLDCsofAfrica,inparticular,
havetoofferinthisnewworld economic andtrade context? What dotheystand togain? What can
bedonetohelpthem tomeetthechallenges ofthethirdmillennium?
Wethink thattheintegration oftheAfrican countries intotheworld trade system should be
attheforefront oftheWTO 'sconcerns. Weappreciate theexploratory work already donebytheWTO
Director-General andstaffinthatrespect, andencourage themtocontinue andtospare noeffort, since
weareconvinced thattherighttoeatisabasic human right. Consequently, wewelcome theinclusion
among theitems under discussion under thisConference oftheissue ofsocial standards. However,
wethink thatfurther consideration oftheissueshould taketheformofcoordinated discussions within
theUnited Nations specialized agencies -theInternational Labour Office andtheInternational Labour
Organization -incooperation withother institutions including theWTO.WT/MIN(96)/ST/87
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Regarding thedispute settlement mechanism, notwithstanding theguarantees offairness and
thedemonstration ofthatfairness inthedecisions already taken, wesuggest thattheLDCs should be
treated onamore preferential basis; indeed, weareafraid thatthere maystillbesome truthinthe
words oftheFrench moral philosopher, LaFontaine: "According towhether youarepowerful or
destitute, sowillthejudgement ofthecourt render youblack orwhite."
Turning totheissue oftrade andinvestment, wethink thatthere isanurgent needtodiscuss
thesubject, since hereagain, Africa hasbeenmarginalized. Theshare ofprivate investment inAfrica
isnegligible, andthere isnothing tosuggest thatbetter dayslieahead.
In1947, theGATT Agreements provided forcertain facilities forthedeveloping countries
inrespect ofquantitative restrictions andconcessions.
In1967,theKennedyRoundAgreementsintroducedtheEnablingClauseallowingthedeveloping
andtheleastdeveloped countries todepart fromtheAgreements forthepurposes oftheirdevelopment,
andtheprinciple ofdifferential andmore favourable treatment forthedeveloping andleastdeveloped
countries, inorder tohelpthem toexpand theireconomies andtheirtrade.
TheUruguay Round Agreements, concluded in1993, stressed theneedtoimplement effectively
themeasures relating todifferential andmore favourable treatment andtodevote special attention to
theproblems ofthedeveloping andtheleastdeveloped countries withaviewtohelping them, onthe
onehand, toexpand theireconomies andtheirtrade, andontheother hand, toadapt tothenewworld
economic andtrade context, tobecome integrated intothatcontext andtobenefit from it.
Butnotwithstanding these good intentions, theresults arenotveryconvincing, andtheshare
ofthedeveloping andtheleastdeveloped countries inworld trade remains insignificant.
Itistruethatintheframework oftheimplementation oftheUruguay Round Agreements, the
developed countries arecalled upontoreduce theircustoms duties by36percentoversixyears, while
thedeveloping countries mustreduce theircustoms duties by24percentover10years, andtheleast
developed countries areonlyasked tobindthem.
Butgiven thenegligible share ofthedeveloping andleastdeveloped countries ofAfrica, in
particular, inworld trade, these measures willinfactbeofbenefit onlytothedeveloped countries,
which export onalarge scaletothose countries ofAfrica, which havelittleinthewayofgoods and
services totrade inahighly competitive environment where thepreferences theyenjoy arelargely
undermined andwhere theywillinfactbelumbered withadditional charges ontheirnetfoodimports.
Inthiscontext marked bydiverging interests andpower struggles, thethreat ofmarginalization
andexclusion ofthedeveloping andleastdeveloped countries isgrowing, andtheirneedforassistance
inimproving theirposition andtheirshare ininternational trade isbecoming more urgent.
Thisiswhere thegreatchallenges ofthenewinternational economic andtradesystem emerge:
- Willthiseconomic andtradesystem allow thediverging interests andpower struggles
togainground attheexpense ofthespirit ofcomplementarity andsolidarity?
- willitbeoneinwhich thestrong andtherichmarginalize andexclude theweak and
thepoor?
- willitbeoneinwhich diverging interests andunequal capabilities andmeans are
harmoniously managed withaviewtoamore justworld?WT/MIN(96)/ST/87
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- whatstepsmustthedeveloping andtheleastdeveloped countries takeandwhatmeans
must theyapply tobecome effective andvalid participants inthenewsystem?
- whatassistance hastheinternational community given them, andwhatassistance will
itgivethem tothatend?
These aresome oftheissues inconnection withwhich Iappeal tothedeveloped countries
represented atthisConference toexamine thepastactivities oftheWTO andtodetermine thebest
possible course foritsfuture work.
Butalready,termssuchasglobalization,interdependence,solidarity,integration-whichrepresent
thepositive sideofthenewworld economic andtrade context -arebeckoning theinternational
community away from notions suchasconflict ofinterests, balance ofpower, marginalization, and
exclusion, which represent itsnegative side.
TheFirst Ministerial Conference oftheWTO thusaffords theinternational community an
opportunity toendorse thisfledgling butgreat international institution andtoprovide itwiththe
wherewithal towork towards amore integrated andunited world.
Wewelcome thegenerally positive achievements ofitsfirsttwoyears ofexistence, itsinitiatives
infavour oftheleastdeveloped countries, inparticular themeeting ofTrade Ministers ofleastdeveloped
countries heldlastNovember, itsongoing concern toinclude theLDCs ininternational discussions
with aview totheir effective integration intothenewworld context, itswillingness toseek
complementarity withother international organizations, interaliathrough theIntegrated Programme
withUNCTAD andITCtoassist theLDCs, andsoon.
Thepast,which hasproduced controversial results -positive forsome andnegative forothers -
represents achallenge forus;thepresent points totheneedtoredirect ouractivities inquest of
solidarity; andthefuture offers newhope.
Tobenefit fromthispromising future, thedeveloping andleastdeveloped countries ofAfrica
must improve theircompetitiveness, which means:
- Participating more actively, being more dynamic andmore motivated andworking
more closely together inpresent andfuture negotiations;
- better defining andputting across theirconcerns sothattheymaybetaken intoaccount
bytheinternational community.
Likemany others, ourcountry isalsoweighed down bydebt,poverty andthepernicious effects
ofill-controlled tradeliberalization. There isstillaquestion mark overeconomic andtradeexpansion.
Prices arerocketing asaresult ofthedevaluation oftheCFA franc andtheelimination ofsubsidies
anddomestic support forexports offoodstuffs, which Togo likeother countries must import. The
preferences granted toACP products onEuropean markets aredwindling away because ofthe
implementation oftheUruguay Round Agreements andthelossisfarfrom being made good.
Asyoumaywellimagine,Togo'spresenceatthismeetingisevidenceofitsintentionandresolve
tolearn more about thefactsandissues being discussed inthenewinternational economic andtrade
setting, tobemore involved intheGroup of77andtheAfrican Group, andtomake common cause
withthedeveloping andleastdeveloped countries, specifically incalling for:WT/MIN(96)/ST/87
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- Theidentification andeffective anduniversal implementation ofdifferential andmore
favourable treatment fordeveloping andleast developed countries intheWTO
framework;
- technical assistance in:
- identifying andtaking advantage ofthedifferent services available attheWTO;
- managing problems andconstraints;
- diversifying production, improving productivity andquality;
- stimulating domestic savings andforeign investment;
- identifying andexploiting theopportunities provided forthedeveloping and
leastdeveloped countries under theUruguay Round Agreements inthespheres
oftrade ingoods andservices andinvestment, sothattheymayeffectively
participate inthenewworld economic andtrade system.
Ishould liketoconclude byobserving thatthisFirstWTO Ministerial Conference comes at
atimeoftransition, which brings withitchallenges, butmore especially newhope. Asthetwentieth
century draws toaclose, theFirst Ministerial Conference oftheWTO provides theinternational
community withanopportunity totakedecisive steps inorder to:
- Ensure thattherisksofmarginalization andexclusion oftheweak bythestrong do
notmaterialize;
- confront andovercome thevarious challenges;
- identifyandseizetheopportunitiesprovidedfordevelopingandleastdevelopedcountries
under theUruguay Round Agreements;
- strengthen theprovisions andpractices aimed atbringing transparency tointernational
trade andencouraging economic globalization andtheintegration oftheeconomically
weak countries intotheneweconomic andtrading system, intheinterest ofamore
justandfraternal world;
- improve cooperation between theWTO andother international organizations soasto
provide adequate andeffective assistance todeveloping andleastdeveloped countries;
- tosupport WTO initiatives aimed attheeffective achievement ofthese goals.
Iamconfident thattheconclusions ofthisFirstMinisterial Conference oftheWTO willallay
fears andboost confidence andhope among theeconomically weak countries, including theleast
developed.
Iwould alsoliketounderline thefactthatthepresence ofsomany ofthese countries atthis
meeting hasbeenmade possible thanks tothespirit ofsolidarity within theinternational community.
MayIexpress thehopethatthesame spirit thattheDirector-General oftheWTO mentioned inhis
speech willprevail foralongtimetocome within theinternational community.WT/MIN(96)/ST/87
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Iamtherefore hopeful thatallisnotlost,thattherichwillstillbeabletolendahelping hand
tothepoorandthatthespirit ofcomplementarity andsolidarity willthrive, flourish andspread inthe
future andbetranslated intoarange ofspecific actions thatbring concrete results favourable toeconomic
development andtheexpansion ofthetradeofleastdeveloped countries, thereby improving theirshare
ininternational trade andtheirintegration intotheworld trading system. Webelieve that,atthesame
timeastheyaregiving usfish,ourpartners intheWTO should alsobeteaching ushowtocatch them.
Itismyhopeandwishthattimeandcircumstances willenable usandfuture generations to
proclaim thatthehopeengendered bythecreation oftheWTO hasbecome areality.