. /. WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/46
10 November 2001
(01-5615)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth SessionDoha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  Spanish
ECUADOR
Statement by H.E. Mr Richard Howard Moss Ferreira
Minister of Foreign Trade, Industry and
Fisheries and Competitiveness
Allow me, Mr Chairman, to congratulate you on your being appointed to head the Fourth
Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organizati on.  I am sure that with your able guidance this
meeting will prove successful.  I should like to say that my delegation is ready to extend the fullestcooperation in achieving the objectives fixed for this occasion.
Ecuador believes in the multilateral trading system and it believes that respect for the
Organization's disciplines and standards is vital to the proper functioning of the entire system.  In my
country we believe that trade is a mainspring of development, and markets should function withoutobstacles so that trade is more dynamic and fosters freedom of initiative among entrepreneurs,
competitiveness and the establishment of a climate of trust so as to attract national and foreign
investors.
In this respect, our experience in international trade has been a positive one.  Ecuador is one
of the countries most open to international trade and the autonomous economic opening achieved so
far has been fundamental in developing our country.  Despite the high cost of the economic andstructural adjustments that were required in recent years to overcome the deep crisis which started in
late 1998, Ecuador has been consistent with its principles and has not altered the conditions or degree
of openness of its market, thereby demonstrating its confidence in trade liberalization.
We reiterate our support for the current multilateral negotiations.  However, in the belief that
market forces tend to intensify the differences between the rich and the poor countries and cannot in
themselves solve existing inequities, Ecuador considers that – especially in the negotiations on
agriculture and services, but also in those on other topics – provisions on special and differential
treatment should be applied in support of national development efforts and that other particularities,
difficulties and limitations of the developing countries should also be taken into account.
In addition, as shown by several studies,  the  developing countries' capacity to use the rules
of multilateral trade and turn them into concrete advantages has been limited by their institutional
weaknesses and by weaknesses in infrastructure and tr aining that could be improved with a substantial
quantitative and qualitative increase in technical assistance, both by the WTO and by otherinternational bodies in a position to provide it.
There are still a number of problems for which the solution is a matter of concern.  Ecuador is
an agricultural country, for which reason we consider it essential to achieve full integration of
agriculture in WTO rules, the elimination of non-tariff measures and export subsidies, a substantialreduction in tariffs and tariff peaks, as well as tariff escalation, an increase in tariff quotas andWT/MIN(01)/ST/46
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recognition of the asymmetries in the degree of de velopment of Member countries, together with the
need to eliminate poverty, especially in the rural sectors of developing countries.
We also emphasize the need to move ahead in acknowledging the rights to adequate
protection of genetic resources, as well as traditional knowledge, innovation and practices andfolklore.
Ecuador is especially interested in the WTO fostering the process of reforming the
Understanding on the Settlement of Disputes, particularly in the context of the proposal we have
submitted.
We must find a lasting and definitive solution to the external debt problem so that developing
countries can release resources to increase their exports, make productive investments and also
investments in infrastructure and education, ther eby enhancing their competitiveness and bringing
prompt connectivity with the computer age, before the digital gap becomes an insuperable gap.  It is
gratifying to see that our initiative has been taken up in the draft Ministerial Declaration to initiate the
examination of the relationship between trade, debt and finance.
Lastly, we urge the Ministerial Conference to make the necessary efforts to find an acceptable
understanding on the controversial topics we are dealing with, since it will be the best way of
reducing poverty and helping to improve nutrition, foster education, facilitate the creation of wealth
and create better opportunities for millions of human beings.
This would be the best way to reaffirm our commitment to create a world with greater equity,
peace, safety and wellbeing.
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