. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/90
11 November 2001
(01-5685)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth Session
Doha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  English
DOMINICA
Statement by H.E. Mr George Williams
Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the WTO
Let me join those who have spoken before me in thanking the Government of Qatar for the
excellent arrangements they have made for this conference and for their generous hospitality.
In the aftermath of the Seattle fiasco, attention was rightly focused on restoring confidence in
the WTO and the multilateral trading system.  The failure at Seattle and the nature of that failure lead
many to question the very legitimacy of the WTO project.  At Seattle developing countries had
spoken with a loud and single voice about their deep dissatisfaction with what up to that time was a
most unsatisfactory WTO process.  They called for change of a kind that would recognize andaccommodate their development concerns and, in this connection also, they called for special
attention to be given to the unique interests of vulnerable under-resourced small economies, in
particular the small island developing States.
Two years after Seattle and on the eve of the possible launch of new negotiations in the WTO,
it seems to many that the lessons of Seattle have hardly been learned.  The call appears to have gone
largely unheeded and the exercise of confidence building has achieved little.  That is why theCommonwealth of Dominica fully supports the Decl aration by Ministers of Foreign Trade of the
African, Caribbean and the Pacific Group of Stat es done at Brussels on 6 November last and
circulated at this conference.
It is against this background that the Commonwealth of Dominica gives its response to the
call, mainly by the industrialized countries, fo r a new so-called "Development Round".  We have
listened to the arguments being put forward in suppo rt of a round, including the argument that a round
involving new issues is the only way that developing countries can have their concerns relating to
implementation, imbalances in the existing arrangement and other concerns, adequately addressed.
For small island developing States like the Commonwealth of Dominica with a population of
less than 100,000 people the possible launch of a comprehensive round of multilateral trade
negotiations is a source of considerable trepidation.  Earlier this year in June Dominica was subjected
to two mandatory reviews at the WTO, namely the trade policy review and a review of its intellectual
property legislation.  These two exercises alone stretched to the limit our capacity to implementcommitments and obligations already entered into under the Uruguay Round Agreements.  It will be
understood therefore that on the grounds of implementation capacity alone we cannot view with
enthusiasm the prospects of assuming further oblig ations of the kind that would inevitably flow from
the negotiations which some countries now seek.
In terms of the expected benefits accruing to a country like mine - increased investment flows
and trade growth - the experience does not give cause for optimism.  When I hear the figures beingquoted from this podium, regarding the gains that have been recorded in international trade and globalWT/MIN(01)/ST/90
Page 2
incomes resulting from the Uruguay Round Agreements I listen with envy.  All of this growth has
passed me by.  Exports from Dominica are lower now than they were even five years ago and they
continue to fall due in large part to uncertainties re garding the future of preferences for the one or two
export commodities that account for over 70 per cent of total exports.
We hear about the massive investment flows that have been features of globalization.  Some
of us have made great efforts to introduce measures, including the adoption of best international
practices, in order to attract the investments needed for economic restructuring and diversification.
But the investments have failed to materialize;  and the enjoyment of the fruits of global prosperity
remains a very distant dream.
Yet despite its experience Dominica remains fully committed to the WTO.  It is a founding
Member of the Organization.  It strongly believes that a rules-based system grounded in international
law is its best guarantee against unilateral and arbitrary action by bigger more powerful States.  In its
own small way Dominica will continue to support those who work for a multilateral trading system
strengthened and improved in ways that make it more responsive to the real development challenges
facing all its Members.  It is in this connection that Dominica joins other small island developingStates and other small economies in calling on the WTO to take their vulnerabilities into account and
implement special measures to help them overcome their unique disadvantage and to better integrate
into the world economy.  In this regard Dominica fully supports and identifies with the statement by
the distinguished Minister from Mauritius on  behalf of the Small Developing Economies.
One of the problems which these countries face and which could easily be resolved if there is
genuine international commitment to inclusiveness is that in Geneva they are neither seen nor heard.
Few of them can afford to maintain resident missions there.  Yet much is taking place in Geneva that
fundamentally affects the day-to-day lives of their peoples.  They can neither defend nor promote
their vital interests and there is little they can do to influence developments in Geneva.
Small developing States like Dominica require assistance from the international community
that goes beyond traditional technical assistance to help address the constraints to their productive
capacity which are the main factors inhibiting their participation in the global prosperity experienced
by others.
Finally I wish to congratulate the People's Republic of China on its accession to the WTO.
We also look forward to welcoming Chinese Taipei in  our midst later today.  The accession of these
new Members further confirms the universality of the WTO.  In this spirit Dominica calls upon WTO
Members to facilitate the accelerated accession of least-developed countries and small vulnerable
States by developing an appropriate fast track procedure which recognizes the level of development
and the capacity for negotiations of these countries.
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