WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/91
20May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2102)
Original: English
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
Statement Circulated byMinisters oftheLeast-Developed Countries
TheLDCMinistersexpresstheirdeepconcernthattheshareofLDCsinworldexportscontinues
tobeunder 0.04percentresulting intheirmarginalization inworld trade. Thispainful stateofaffairs
istaking place inthebackdrop oftheParis Declaration andtheProgramme ofAction forLDCs and
theWTO PlanofAction adopted attheFirst Ministerial Meeting ofWTO, heldinSingapore in
December 1996, which provides aframework forfurther market access concessions toLDCs and
recalling further theoutcome oftheHigh-Level Meeting ontheIntegrated Initiatives forLDCs 'Trade
Development heldinGeneva inOctober 1997.
Wecalluponourdevelopment partners togiveoperational content totheWTO PlanofAction
andtheintegrated framework adopted intheHigh Level Meeting through enhanced ODA flows and
provision ofzerotariff access forLDCs 'products intheirmarkets. Wefurther urgeexpeditious
implementation ofthespecial anddifferential measures infavour ofLDCs ascontained intheFinal
ActoftheUruguay Round.
Ourdevelopment partners areurged tosupport UNCTAD 'sIntegrated Country Programme
(ICP) forTrade-Related Technical Assistance through increased provision oftechnical andfinancial
assistance.
WeurgeMembers toconsider flexibility toWTO rulestoenable smooth accession byacceding
LDCs. LDCs maybegranted membership onsubmission ofMemorandum onForeign Trade and
subsequent clarifications, ifany,byacceding member. Wehighly regard thevalue oftheWTO technical
assistance toLDCs andunderscore theneedforitsenhancement.
Wereiterate thattheexternal debtsituation ofLDCs remains precarious andthatcurrent debt
relief measures haveproved tooinadequate. Weconsider theHIPC initiative oftheWorld Bank and
IMFasastepintherightdirection. However, theeffectiveness oftheinitiative willdepend onthe
speed andextent ofitsimplementation. While amajority ofLDCs areincluded under theHIPC which
weappreciate thecaseoftheLDCs should alsobeconsidered insimilar light.
Weexpress ourdeepappreciation tothose countries thatintheOctober 1998HLM announced
improved market access forexports fromleast-developed countries. Weencourage themtofollow-up
withnotifications inthisregard speedily. Werequest other WTO Members toreconsider theirposition
inthisregard, andmake generous market access offers.
./.WT/MIN(98)/ST/91
Page2
Werecommend toallmultinational andregional finance organizations andbilateral/multilateral
donors togivespecial attention tothebuilding ofinfrastructure (power, ports, telecom, roads, rails,
airports, hotels etc.)which enhance theattractiveness ofLDC economies toforeign investments.
Wewelcome theproposal bytheDirector-General oftheWTO toconsider, inthepreparation
fortheThird Ministerial Conference, proposal forelimination ofalltariff barriers infavour ofthe
least-developed countries onapriority basis inthenegotiations, starting in2000.
Thetime-frameestablishedforthecomplianceoftheprovisionsintheAgreementisnotsufficient
forLDCs. Additional timeshould begranted toLDCs forthecompliance oftheprovisions ofthe
different Agreements.
__________