WT/MIN(22)/ST/52  
12 June 2022  
(22-4489) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 2022  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT B Y H.E. MR GAN KIM YONG  
MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY  
SINGAPORE  
MC12 has been five years in the making. Since our last meeting in Buenos Aires in 2017, we have 
all experienced monumental shifts and disruptions of a global scale. The Covid -19 pandemic, in 
particular, upended the way we live and work and triggered major changes including the acceleration 
of digital adoption and rethinking of supply chain resilience.  
 
While we are not free of the threat of the Covid -19 pandemic, many have since re -opened borders 
and re -built their economy for post -pandemic recovery. Howev er, new challenges have emerged. 
For example, increasing geo -political tensions such as the Ukraine -Russia crisis have created shock 
waves through the global economy. Disruptions to supply chains have worsened. A global food and 
energy crisis appears immin ent. In recent weeks, export restrictions and prohibitions have been 
imposed by some Members on a growing number of products. Together with adverse climatic events, 
these have converged to send food and energy prices soaring and inflation is at multi -year highs.  
 
What can the WTO do in the face of these challenges? Trade has historically been an engine of 
growth. The pandemic has accentuated the importance of global cooperation. No single economy 
can be entirely self -sufficient. An open and inclusive intern ational trade architecture remains more 
crucial than ever in times of crisis. As Dr Ngozi has aptly put it, the world needs a responsive WTO, 
one that helps us meet the many challenges of our time and delivers on the aspirations of the people 
we serve. I c annot agree more. The rules -based multilateral trading system as embodied in the WTO 
can, and should, continue to play a central role in tackling the challenges we are confronting.  
 
I will share three reflections on how MC12 can make a difference, even as  we navigate these 
challenging times.  
 
First, the WTO will need a decisive response to the pandemic. The building blocks should include 
elements such as disciplining the use of export restrictions, enhancing supply chain connectivity, 
and preserving the i ncentives for innovation. At the same time, we need to support the expansion 
of global vaccine production and strengthen the logistics of distribution in order to be better prepared 
for the next pandemic. MC12 must deliver meaningful outcomes or the WTO ri sks being irrelevant. 
Our collective response must be forward -looking and sensitive to the needs of all Members especially 
developing and least -developed Members and addresses not only the Covid -19 pandemic, but also 
future global public health crises and emergencies.  
 
Second, we need to strengthen food security. At the recent World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, 
we heard dire warnings that 325 million people are close to starvation – an almost 20% increase 
from before the pandemic struck. The WTO has an o pportunity to show it can make a difference at 
this critical juncture by delivering a package on food security. While a comprehensive package on 
agriculture will take time, MC12 can and must deliver a deal on food security. I urge all WTO 
Members to suppor t the World Food Programme proposal, which calls on Members not to impose 
export prohibitions on foodstuffs purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes, as a 
pragmatic outcome to help fight world hunger, especially in developing countries.  
 
Finally, the multilateral trade system must be responsive and adapt to the changing times. Since 
the WTO 's inception 27 years ago, digital transformation has changed the way Members and 
businesses conduct trade. The WTO and multilateral trade rules must, l ikewise, keep pace with WT/MIN( 22)/ST/ 52 
 
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  commercial realities. We can do so in two aspects. One, the Joint Statement Initiative on 
E-Commerce, which Singapore co -convenes with Australia and Japan, will play a crucial role in laying 
the foundation for multilateral rules on digital trade. Two, we need to renew the moratorium on 
customs duties on electronic transmissions, which will provide businesses, especially MSMEs, with 
greater certainty. Failure to renew the moratorium will undo Members ' efforts to embrace digital 
transf ormation and to leverage opportunities in the digital economy.     
 
I look forward to working with Dr Ngozi and fellow Ministers to keep the WTO a vital and relevant 
institution for all – one that is forward -looking, fit -for-purpose in the 21st century, and  takes into 
account the needs of all Members. There is no better occasion than here at MC12 for us to narrow 
our differences, catalyse conversations on WTO reform, and map out the path ahead for all of us.  
 
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