WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/69
11December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5233)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
MALTA
Statement byH.E. Mr.LeoBrincat
Minister forCommerce
Mr.Chairman, mayI,attheoutset, onmybehalf andonbehalf ofthedelegation and
Government ofMalta, congratulate youonyourelection tothechairmanship ofthismostimportant
Conference, andthank theGovernment ofSingapore forthewarm welcome andhospitality extended
tous,andfortheexcellent arrangements made forthisConference.
Iwould alsoliketoassociate myself withtheleaders ofother delegations inthanking the
Director-General oftheWTO, Mr.Ruggiero, andhisstafffortheexcellent service theyhaverendered
toMember countries ofthismost important Organization since itsestablishment twoyears ago.
TheWorld Trade Organization wasestablished atthebeginning oflastyeartopromote the
orderlydevelopmentofworldtrade.Suchdevelopmentmusthaveasitsultimateobjectivethepromotion
ofsustainable economic andsocial development inallcountries oftheworld especially indeveloping
countries, andinparticular intheleastdeveloped ones. Thenegotiators oftheUruguay Round of
Trade Negotiations havegiven theMembers oftheWTO thebasiclegalinstruments, andtheinstitutional
framework which theyconsidered necessary fortheachievement ofthisobjective, through the
implementation oftheAgreements which make uptheFinal ActoftheUruguay Round.
InSingapore, wehavetheopportunity toassess towhatextent weareontherighttrack in
thepursuance ofourobjectives andwhether weneedtomake anychanges inthelegalandinstitutional
framework oftheWTO.
TheGovernment ofMalta hasaparticular interest inthesuccess oftheWTO. Living ona
small island inthemiddle oftheMediterranean Seawithout anynatural resources wedepend toa
significant extent ontrade forourlivelihood andwell-being. Malta isinfactanetfood-importing
country. Notonly, butMalta imports averylargeproportion ofitsconsumer goods aswellasalmost
alltherawmaterials andcapital goods required forourindustries. Malta alsoimports itsfuelneeds
fortheproduction oftheenergy required fordomestic andindustrial use.
Malta 'sbalance ofpayments isacquired through exports ofmanufactured goods andservices,
tourism, transshipment, shipbuilding andship-repairing.
TheGovernment ofMalta supports initiatives topromote freetrade inallitsaspects, asan
instrument which canpromote thesustainable development ofoureconomy. Properly administered
inaglobal scenario, freetradecanbeavailed oftopromote thebetter useandmoreequitable distribution
oftheworld 'slimited resources, topromote development inhitherto underdeveloped areas, aswell
asthecontinuous development andbetter useoftheskills andtalents oftheinhabitants oftheearth.WT/MIN(96)/ST/69
Page2
Oneofthemost important achievements oftheUruguay Round ofTrade Negotiations was
theconclusion oftheAgreement onTrade inServices. Initsofferofconcessions under thisAgreement
theGovernment ofMalta manifested itsbelief intheliberalization ofthissector bymaking asubstantial
offerinthetourism, insurance, andmerchant shipping sectors. TheGovernment ofMalta isfollowing
theongoingnegotiationsintheframeworkoftheWTOinthesectorsoftelecommunicationsandfinancial
services.
Malta hasanumber oftrade agreements withother countries, themost important ofwhich
isanAssociation Agreement withtheEuropean Union. ThenewGovernment ofMalta which was
voted intooffice lessthantwomonths ago,has,asoneofitspriorities, thenegotiation withtheEuropean
Union ofanagreement establishing anindustrial free-trade zonebetween Malta andtheUnion. This
doesnotimply thatMalta prefers regionalism toglobalism inmatters oftrade, butitonlyunderlines
thefactthatMalta attaches special importance toitscommercial relationship withtheEuropean Union,
withwhich itconducts about 85percentofitsvisible andinvisible trade.
Twoofthemostimportant issues under active discussion intheframework oftheWTO are
theissues oftradeandtheenvironment, andofcorelabour standards. TheGovernment ofMalta has,
sinceitbecame amember oftheUnited Nations in1964, insisted onthepreservation oftheenvironment
forpresent andfuture generations ofmankind inallUNfora. Itspromotion ofthenotions ofthe
common heritage andcommon concern ofmankind intheUNConventions ontheLawoftheSeaand
onClimate Change iswellknown.
TheGovernment ofMalta fully supports thework oftheCommittee onTrade andthe
Environment andwishes tostress itsbelief thatfreetrade should never beallowed toprejudice the
rights offuture generations toinherit ahealthy environment onwhich theycanbasetheirownsustainable
living anddevelopment.
With regard totheissue ofthecorelabour standards mydelegation hassome preference for
thisissuetobediscussed, primarily, within theframework oftheILO,which has,overthelast50years,
established itself asthesupreme world body dealing withlabour issues.
After listening carefully tothediscussion heldincommittee yesterday, mydelegation feels
thatthere isawidespread opinion among delegations thatfurther studies, possibly involving boththe
WTO andtheILO, needtobeundertake before aconsensus canbereached onthisveryimportant
question.
Mydelegation feelsthatitwould beverydifficult tomake further progress onthisissue at
thismeeting, andmydelegation would beprepared tojoininwhatseems tobeanemerging consensus,
thatfurther studies beheldonthisissue withtheparticipation ofboththeWTO andtheILO.
TheWTO canlookwithacertain amount ofsatisfaction onitsachievements inthetwoyears
ofitsexistence: membership hasgrown fromtheoriginal 76to128andthereare28other candidates,
including some veryimportant trading partners; international trade hasbeenaccelerating inthelast
twoyears andthere arereasons tobelieve thatconcessions made under theUruguay Round ofTrade
Negotiations Agreements havecontributed substantially tosuchanacceleration; theWTO dispute
settlement mechanism isfirmly inplace andisfastestablishing itself asacredible forum forthe
settlement oftrade disputes; andtheWTO 'sreporting system hasproved tobeaveryvaluable
instrument keeping Members inlinewiththeircommitments under theWTO Agreements. More efforts,
however, arerequired tomake theWTO more effective. Negotiations withprospective members and
onpending issues needtobeconcluded asearly aspossible. Malta feelsthatourOrganization would
benefit fromtheearly membership ofcountries likeChina andtheRussian Federation. WealsofeelWT/MIN(96)/ST/69
Page3
thatmore technical aidmustbemade available toassist small anddeveloping importing countries to
beinabetter position tohonour theircommitments under theWTO Agreements.
Theestablishment oftheWTO hascertainly beenastepintherightdirection. Mydelegation
believes thatthemoderate success which theWTO hashadinthefirsttwoyears ofitsexistence should
spurusintofurther efforts tomake thisOrganization amajor instrument forthepromotion ofthe
sustainable development oftheglobal economy.