. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/ST/103
12 September 2003
(03-4873)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth Session
Cancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  English
FINLAND
Statement by H.E. Ms Paula Lehtomäki
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development
Let me begin by thanking the Mexican Government for the excellent arrangements of the
Fifth Ministerial Meeting, as well as Director-General Dr Supachai and his staff for the preparative
work.
I would also like to thank the Chairman of the General Council, Ambassador Perez de
Castillo, for his remarkable contribution by providing us a Draft Cancún Ministerial Text.
Rules-based trade liberalization has built welfare and enhanced competitiveness in Finland.
Our positive experience of trade liberalization is certainly not unique.  Benefits of open trade
policies have been constantly proven by economic studies.
Trade liberalization and even economic growth are by no means ends in themselves.  It is
up to governments to make use of resources in a best possible way.  Trade creates wealth to invest
in education, health and infrastructure, based on national policies.  It also provides means to fight
hunger and poverty in accordance with our common commitments.
The Doha Development Round offers us an opportunity not only to further liberalize
markets and to develop trade rules but also to pay particular attention to the developmental aspects.
It is our duty to make use of this opportunity.
Finland attaches great importance to the integration of developing countries into the world
trading system by improving their market access and by building their capacities.  I would like to
stress in this context Finland's continued strong support for the Integrated Framework and the DDA
Global Trust Fund.
Members have agreed that sustainable development is an overarching goal of the trade
negotiations.  It is important that while the WTO acknowledges the legitimacy of environmental
concerns, it doesn't allow to discriminate between one's own products and services and those of
foreign competitors.  We should be ready to send out a clear signal that the WTO is ready to
intensify its work on environmental issues related to trade.  However, sustainable development isnot only a question of trade and environment but necessitates also sustained economic growth,
social justice, and respect for human rights.
Agriculture is in many ways the deal-maker or deal-breaker in the negotiations.  We should
strike a balance between better market access and other trade measures, non-trade concerns and
domestic support.  The recent CAP reform shows that the EU is ready to lower farm subsidies that
distort trade and harm developing countries interests.  However, we should make sure that allconsumers are allowed to maintain their right to locally produced food.  Likewise we should ensureWT/MIN(03)/ST/103
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the viability of traditional family farms - both in developed and developing countries - also in the
future.
Negotiations on market access in industrial goods are still the backbone of trade
negotiations.  We expect that these negotiations will in the end match the ambition of agriculturalnegotiations.  We should for example leave possibilities open to deeper cuts in specific sectors of
export interest to all countries.  Finland is particularly interested in furthering the work on
environmental goods and services.
It is important to keep the rules-based trading system updated.  While the overall role of
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has grown dramatically, developed countries still account for most
of FDI outflows and inflows.  This trend should be reversed.
Investments are possible if the legislative and regulatory environment is transparent and
predictable.  An Agreement on Trade and Investment, together with an Agreement on Trade and
Competition, would contribute to this end while still preserving countries right to regulate and
pursue domestic policy goals.
A commonly agreed binding regulatory framework on Trade Facilitation and increased
transparency in government procurement would improve efficiency, lower government costs,
increase possibilities to combat bribery and corruption and thus enhance good governance.
We should use this Fifth Ministerial to steer the process and make necessary decisions to
conclude our work by the end of the next year.  This would boost the economy and give confidence
that we can help those people most in need to make their lives better.
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