. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/122
12 November 2001
(01-5719)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth SessionDoha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  English
BULGARIA
Statement by H.E. Mr Nikolay Vassilev
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy
At the outset, let me express our appreciation to the Government of the State of Qatar for
hosting the Fourth Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference and to thank the WTO Secretariat and
the Qatari Organization Committee for their organizational and logistical efforts.
Let me also congratulate and express gratitude to the Chairman of the General Council, to the
Director-General and the staff of the Secretariat that worked tirelessly to bridge the existing
divergences and to prepare the event.
The rising expectations after the Seattle Ministerial Conference that the World Trade
Organization should adequately respond to the challenges and changes faced by the world economytoday, properly address development issues and various concerns and take a decision to launch a new
round of multilateral trade negotiations confer on our work at this Fourth Session of the Ministerial
Conference a special responsibility.
Multilateralism has proven its ability over the last 50 years to contribute to sustained
economic growth, prosperity and improved living standards.  Trade liberalization has benefited
Members' economies enormously.  There is no reason to believe that further trade liberalization andstrengthened rules will not lead to similar results.
This Conference represents an opportunity we need to take if we really care about the future.
It is our responsibility to face reality and take decisions that will shape our economies and the lives of
our peoples for the decades to come, decisions that are in the interest of the entire WTO membershipand of each single Member.
To further strengthen its role and credibility, the Organization needs the support of an
expanded membership.  I would like to welcome the newly acceded Members and encourage those
negotiating their terms of accession.  Their commitm ent to join is a recognition of the importance
attached to the multilateral trading system and the confidence in the benefits that the WTO can
provide to its Members, be they small, developing, or big trading partners.
Bulgaria attaches great importance to the success of the Fourth Ministerial Conference at
Doha and to the launching of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations.  Our delegation's effortsare aimed at contributing to this end.  Only a shared commitment to open trade can be a driving force
for further growth.
In the way up to Seattle and throughout the preparatory process for the Doha Ministerial,
Bulgaria has supported a broad negotiating agenda, which would ensure a balance of the interests andbenefits for all WTO Members.WT/MIN(01)/ST/122
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One element of the future negotiations to which Bulgaria attaches special importance is the
extension of the additional protection for geographical indications under Article 23 of the
TRIPS Agreement to products other than wines and spirits.  The majority of the membership of the
WTO has supported such negotiations and we were pleased to see that they were foreseen in the
second draft for a ministerial declaration, presented by the Chairman of the General Council and theDirector-General.  In this draft, which is now before us, the extension of the additional protection for
geographical indications is dealt with as an implementation issue and shall, therefore, be addressed as
a matter of priority and appropriate action has to be recommended by the end of 2002.
The process of globalization has put development in the focus of the work of the WTO.  If the
multilateral trading system is to maintain and enhance its credibility, it must demonstrate a special
sensitivity to the special needs and concerns of its less advantaged participants.  Therefore, westrongly support a review of the special and diff erential treatment provisions with a view to
strengthening them and making them more precise, effective and operational.  We believe that this is
possible only on the basis of objective criteria and economic indicators.  Our view is that rights and
privileges and flexibilities for the fulfilment of obligations should not be given to subjectively defined
categories of countries, but on the basis of objective criteria only.  Furthermore, it is our position thatspecial rights, privileges and flexibilities in the fulfilment of obligations, given to different categories
of countries, are enjoyed by all Members who fulfil the objective criteria and/or economic indicators
underlying such categorization.  It is on the basis of this understanding that we are prepared to agree
to the adoption of the proposed declaration, in particular its paragraph 37, the decision on
Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns, contained in JOB(01)/139/Rev.1, and the procedures,contained in document G/SCM/W/471.
With the proposed Ministerial Declaration we will be establishing a new ambitious work
programme for the WTO for the next years.  This programme provides for negotiations leading to
changes in the existing agreements and to the elaboration of new agreements.  There are, however,other issues, not foreseen in this programme, which do not necessitate changes in the agreements but
which are nevertheless of particular importance for the functioning of the WTO and for the future of
the multilateral trading system.
One such institutional issue, which has been on the agenda of the Organization after the
Seattle Conference, is the question of internal and external transparency and participation in the
decision-making process of the WTO.  We are of the view that the WTO should continue its work oninternal transparency and adopt concrete decisions which would provide guarantees against
intransparent practices such as, for example, last moment proposals, limited distribution of unofficial
documents in electronic format, delays in the distribution of minutes and the derestriction of
documents, etc.
Another serious procedural problem, which distracted the WTO from its substantive work for
several months before the Seattle Conference, is the need for clear and effective procedures for the
appointment of Directors-General.  It had been decided that such procedures would be adopted by
September 2000 but actually no serious work was undertaken.
We think that these issues should be addressed by the General Council as priority matters and
that deadlines should be set for the adoption of concrete decisions on them.
I hope that this Conference will be able to take a decision on the proposed work programme
and that after two years we will be able to see its first results.
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