WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/55
10December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5225)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Statement byH.E. Mr.Saeed Ahmed Ghobash
Minister ofEconomy andCommerce
Itgives megreatpleasure toparticipate intheFirstMinisterial Conference oftheWorld Trade
Organization. MayIfirstofallexpress mypersonal thanks andgratitude, andthatofmydelegation,
totheGovernment andthepeople ofSingapore fortheirgenerous hospitality andforextending tous
awarm welcome.
Mythanks arealsoduetotheDirector-General oftheWTO forhisuntiring efforts inpreparing
thisConference.
TheUnited Arab Emirates joined theWTO inthebelief thatitprovides anagreed system of
rules andaneffective forum forliberalization andexpansion ofworld trade.
Wearehappy towork along withother Member countries instrengthening theWTO tofulfil
itsimportant roleinproviding amore open, fairandequitable trading system.
Itisheartening tonotethattheWTO hasembarked uponitsambitious journey tothesatisfaction
oftheinternational community.
Thefirsttwoyears ofworkhaslaidthefoundations forsolidachievements. Thecomprehensive
documentation before theConference isatestimony totheextensive work donebytheCouncils and
CommitteesoftheWTOinconsolidatingtheresultsoftheUruguayRoundnegotiations.Weparticularly
appreciate thework oftheDispute Settlement Body andtheAppellate Body.
Though theimplementation ofmany WTO Agreements hasbeensatisfactory, there alsohave
beencases where itwaslessthansatisfactory. TheUAE isspecially concerned about theunsatisfactory
implementation oftheAgreement onTextiles andClothing. There hasbeennomeaningful integration
oftextiles andclothing intoGATT during thefirsttwoyears.
TheUnited Arab Emirates, witharelatively small administration, hasfound notification
requirements tobeburdensome. There isurgent needtosimplify thenotification process. Wetherefore
appreciate theefforts made recently bytheSecretariat insimplifying thisprocess.
ThisConference should takestock ofthework doneinthefirsttwoyears oftheWTO and
agree onawork programme forthecoming years.
Wefeelthatinthenexttwoyears theOrganization should concentrate ontheimplementation
oftheWTO Agreements andoncompleting theunfinished business oftheUruguay Round. There
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isalsoasubstantial built-in agenda, intheform ofreviews andnegotiations ondifferent subjects.
Thisshould receive priority attention intheperiod ahead, sothatalready agreed time-frames are
respected.
Thisbrings metothenewissues. TheUAE, likemany newMember countries, experiences
some difficulties infollowing alltheactivities which takeplace within theWTO, inaddition tothe
factthatadapting domestic lawsandregulations, establishing newlegislations require immense time
andhuman resources. Inthisregard, webelieve thattheConference should avoid thetemptation of
overloading thework programme oftheWTO.
TheUAE isnotoftheopinion thatthere should beanylinkage between trade andlabour
standards. While mycountry gives thegreatest importance tothesocial aspect oftheissue, the
International Labour Organization (ILO), andnottheWTO, istheappropriate bodytodealwithsuch
issue.
Ontheissueoftradeandinvestment, UNCTAD, inaccordance withitsmandate, anddirected
byitslastMinisterial Meeting, isexpected toundertake astudy onthisissue. Wesuggest, inthis
respect, thattheWTO waitfortheoutcome ofthisstudy before deciding ontheinitiation ofany
discussion ontheissue oftherelation between trade andinvestment.
Twomember countries oftheArab GulfCooperation Council, Saudi Arabia andOman, are
intheprocess ofjoining theWTO. TheUAE supports theirearlyaccession andwould urgeexpeditious
completion oftheaccession process.
TheWorld Trade Organization hasopened anewchapter ininternational economic cooperation.
Itshould carry onandconsolidate itswork tocontribute tothedevelopment andprosperity ofall
countries.