WT/MIN(24)/ST/69  
26 February  2024 
(24-1562) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MRS DENISA SAKOVÁ  
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF ECONOMY  
SLOVAK REPUBLIC  
The Slovak Republic would like to express its sincere gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for the 
excellent organization of the 13th Ministerial Conference. I am convinced that this conference will be 
successful and will achieve outcomes towards the further reforms of the World Trade Organization. 
I do believe that all WTO Members will make a constructive contribution to these outcomes , 
according to their needs and capacities.  
Firstly, allow me to welcome the accession of Comoros and Timor -Leste to the WTO family. We are 
confident that these accessions will contribute to economic reform and sustainable development in 
both countries.  
Slovakia, as a small, open and export -oriented economy, has been traditionally supporting the rules -
based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. The Organization has always played an 
instrumental role, ensuring stability and predictability of the international trade. Current challenging 
economic environment in the world provides an opportunity for the WTO to act as a valuable leader 
against further economic fragmentation.  
The world has changed considerably since the establishment of the WTO, an d the Organization 
should follow. All three main pillars of this Organization – namely negotiations, implementation and 
monitoring, as well as the dispute settlement – require wide -ranging reform to ensure the WTO 
continues to be a key force in achieving s ubstantive results, resolving disputes and forming 
international trade rules.  
Our main priority remains a fully-fledged and well -functioning dispute settlement system accessible 
to all Members. Without the effective and feasible system for resolving dispu tes, the WTO is losing 
its relevance and credibility. For this reason, I would like to stress the urgent need to find a solution 
to reform the WTO dispute settlement mechanism during this Ministerial Conference.  
Moreover, in order to respond to the challen ges of the 21st century, as environmental issues or 
industrial subsidies, a reformed WTO must adapt and be able to tackle these issues and incorporate 
them into future trade negotiations. The global economy is experiencing vast technological shifts 
with th e digital trade being the key driver. In order to address the needs of the private sector, mainly 
MSMEs, extending the moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions 
is another priority for us.  
Slovakia, as well as many other W TO Members, supports balanced and satisfactory outcomes in the 
area of agriculture. These deliverables in the form of work programme with the key elements like 
trade-distorting domestic support would help pave the way for future negotiations. Furthermore, in 
order to address the global fish stock sustainability concerns, we have to build on the successful 
achievements of the MC12 by concluding the second phase of negotiations on fisheries subsidies.  
Responding to the development challenge belongs to the maj or principles of the WTO agenda. The 
Slovak Republic fully stands by the pro -development dimension of this Organization. However, I 
would like to mention one important issue – the ability of large emerging economies to self -declare 
"developing country " status. Some of these economies have much higher income per capita in WT/MIN(24)/ST/69  
 
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  comparison to the Slovak Republic and are still benefiting from WTO special and differential 
treatment. We are of the view that these benefits should be provided in a more balanced way 
according to the real needs of this WTO Member.  
The Slovak Republic is ready for constructive engagement during the conference and is looking 
forward to active participation from all the WTO Members. We believe our collective effort to reform 
the WTO will make it fit for the challenges of the 21st century and to preserve it as a modern, credible 
and functional international Organization.  
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