WT/MIN(22)/ST/ 95 
12 June 2022 
(22-4533) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 2022  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MS ANNA HALLBERG  
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN TRADE AND NORDIC AFFAIRS  
SWEDEN  
Let me first thank Kazakstan  for hosting the 12th Ministerial Conference here in Geneva.  Thank you 
also to Director -General Okonjo Iweala and the whole WTO secretariat for arranging this long 
overdue meeting. I am very happy to participate at MC12.  
But I will go straight to the point. We are experiencing economic effects of an unjust and unprovoked 
war on Ukraine, a war that first of all cause pain to the Ukrainian people, and also impacts people 
far and wide across the globe. It is seen in disrupted value chains and the outcome of this is 
particularly for people who now will lack sufficient food on their plates. It is senseless and it is 
needless.  
This week, the world´s eyes are set on the WTO. The outcome of the MC12 is crucial and the future 
of the WTO  is balancing on a knife 's edge.  
But crisis can serve as the opportunity to join forces together, not resorting to self -interest. The 
Swedish experie nce here is to hold fast on the course of a free, fair and sustainable trade. This is 
empirically tested waters.  
Sweden have made the journey from a poor country to a prosperous welfare state through trade 
and social policy which creates opportunities for all Sweden can showcase an impressive number of 
multinational and innovative brands recognised worldwide. We are also showing the future of the 
green transition, for example in the north, where fossil free steel is being produced, ready to be 
traded on sca le. 
This is a story we are proud of, and we wish that other countries can be inspired by resilient trade 
policies to build their own historic journey towards a prosperous society.  
So, for an economy to do well and companies to stay competitive, there is a need to provide an 
open, rules -based, and transparent trade. On an international level, the WTO provides this legal 
framework and certitude – for all of us. Not just for the big economies. The WTO also serves as an 
enabler for a just and fair trading for s mall economies.  
And more than ever, we need a robust international order that can deliver long -term independent 
growth – for all. Thus, we must focus on removing barriers and strengthening framework conditions, 
based on fair competition and open markets.  
And trade can also be an agent of change, for a world which can effectively respond to global 
challenges. Case in point is the pandemic.  
Consider this. The face masks, the test kits, the vaccines and the medicines needed to combat 
Covid-19 – they are all pr oduced thanks to sophisticated international cooperation, reducing costs 
and increases supply. If we are serious about combatting diseases, we need to make sure that such 
products can be traded and distributed to every corner of the world, without unnecess ary or 
administrative burdens. I hope we can reach a common understanding on this, here in Geneva.  WT/MIN( 22)/ST/ 95 
 
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  Not since the start of the pandemic have we seen so many policy changes implicating essential 
goods. And since the start of the Russian invasion, more than 3 0 export curbs on food and fertilisers 
have been introduced.  
We must avoid a situation, where unilateral restrictions on goods hampers value chains.  
If this materialises, the global economy will face an unpredictable path towards a new political reality, 
with financial volatility, price fluctuations, and disruption of production and trade. What is at stake, 
is more than trade, it is the fight against starvation and ultimately human lives.  
Trade is, as you all already know, a key engine propelling economic growth and efforts to end poverty 
as well as reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.  
The same goes for our existential struggle against climate change. The summit in Glasgow last year 
made it clear that we all have a role to play if we are to meet our own -set targets for ourselves and 
our planet. It should be a no -brainer for the WTO to de liver on fisheries subsides, simplifying 
distribution of climate -friendly goods and services. We have been negotiating an agreement on 
fisheries subsidies for twenty years. Even though negotiations are difficult, this is probably our best 
chance to conclud e them.  
And trade today is not the same as twenty years ago. Digital trade is growing – fast. Trade in digital 
services already accounts for more than half of global services. Companies and consumers expect 
predictable rules for e -commerce. We must delive r on this if we want the WTO to stay relevant. 
I welcome the progress already made in the e -commerce negotiations and hope that we can 
celebrate a new agreement by the next ministerial conference.  
To make WTO relevant and fit for the future, we o need to a gree on WTO reform. A restoration of a 
modern and functioning dispute settlement system must be part of this work and we should aim for 
delivery by the next time that we all gather, at MC13.  
Finally, we must promote and support an increased involvement of developing and least developed 
countries in global trade, so that they too can reap the full benefits of the global economy.  
To summarize, I would like us to be a World Trade Organization that:  
• stands up for an open, rules -based and inclusive trading syste m  
• contributes to combatting ongoing and future pandemics and formulates a multilateral 
response to improve global health  
• underpins the green transition and Agenda 2030 by facilitating trade in climate -friendly 
goods and services, promotes a circular econo my and delivers an agreement on fishery 
subsidies  
• supports the digital transition by modernising trade rules, fit to the digital age    
• enables the full involvement of developing countries in the world trading system.  
We have a busy week ahead of us, with no shortage of challenges. I suggest we get to work.  
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