WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/78
18May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2085)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
BURUNDI
Statement Circulated byH.E. MrGrégoire Banyiyezako,
Minister forTrade, Industry andTourism
TheRepublic ofBurundi would liketoexpress itswarmest congratulations totheWorld Trade
Organization onthe50thAnniversary ofthesigning oftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade.
Ontheoccasion oftheSecond WTO Ministerial Conference, Burundi wishes tomake afew
proposals forinclusion intheOrganization 'sfuture work programme.
Theproclaimed objective ofthemultilateral trading system hasalways beentoraisethestandard
ofliving ofthepeoples oftheworld through increased trade, improved incomes andcreation ofmore
jobs. Aquick evaluation ofthe50-year-old multilateral trading system shows thatthemainobjective
isfarfrombeing reached inmany countries oftheworld. Themeasures taken tohelpthese countries
achieve thisobjective withtheintroduction ofPartIVoftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade
andtheconclusion oftheAgreement Establishing theWTO havenotproduced thedesired results.
Additional andsubstantial measures needtobetaken tohelpdeveloping countries ingeneral,
andtheleast-developed countries inparticular, torisetothechallenges withwhich theyarefaced.
Themeasures taken toassist these countries should giveduepriority toaglobal approach withrespect
totheir development needs, encompassing increased domestic andexternal supply, marketing,
strengthening ofhuman resources andnational institutional frameworks.
Tothisend,amultilateral work planshould bedrawn upwith theaimofsolving all
developmental problems, i.e.external debt, government development assistance, investment, transfer
oftechnology andknow-how andthecultural andpolitical specifics ofeachcountry.
Ifnosteps aretaken inthisdirection andpoorcountries continue tobemarginalized atthe
current rate,thenweneedtofeartheoutbreak ofsocial unrest inthepoorregions, which might call
intoquestion theachievements ofthecurrent multilateral trading system.
Burundi, aMember ofboththeUNandtheWTO, hasbeenavictim, since1996, ofacomplete
economic blockade onthepartofsome ofitsneighbours.
Yet,Burundi isneither guilty ofanyinternational breach within themeaning oftheUNCharter,
norresponsible foranyviolation within themeaning oftheWTO Agreement. Thisblockade hasbrought
tonought alltheBurundi Government 'sefforts toachieve theobjectives andideals setforth inthe
UNCharter andtheWTO Agreement. Indeed, thepeople ofBurundi arenolonger abletoenjoy their
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basic rights, suchastheright tofood, health, education, employment, freedom ofmovement and
establishment, etc.
Thecountries responsible fortheeconomic blockade, which theywrongly termeconomic
sanctions, justify theblockade asbeing their reaction tothechange ofgovernment inBurundi in
July1996. Now, theaimofthischange ingovernment wastopreserve themostbasic human right,
i.e.therighttolife,which thegenocide tolerated bytheprevious regime violated onamassive scale.
Thecountries behind thiseconomic blockade believe thattheiraction willhelptheBurundi
people tosolve theirdomestic problems.
TheBurundi Government wishes ittobeperfectly clear thattheblockade cannot constitute
aremedy toBurundi 'sdomestic problems insofar asitdenies theBurundi people enjoyment oftheir
basic human rights andfundamental freedoms, including therighttolife.
Worse yet,thisblockade contributes towrongfully enriching aprivileged fewinthesecountries
while their ownpopulations aretotally deprived, aswhat little trading existed hasnowbecome
impossible.
ThisiswhyBurundi makes anurgent appeal toneighbouring countries which arestillapplying
thisblockade torethink theirposition. Insodoing, theywillcontribute totherestoration ofstability
inBurundi andintheAfrican Great Lakes subregion.
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