WT/MIN(24)/ST/75  
 
26 February  2024 
(24-1580) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR SIMON COVENEY, T.D.  
MINISTER FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND  EMPLOYMENT  
IRELAND  
Last year, we marked the 75th anniversary of General Agreement of  Tariffs and Trade, the precursor 
to the World Trade Organi zation.  As we gather here in Abu D habi for this Thirteenth Ministerial 
Conference of the WTO, and we reflect on that period, we can see how global trade has transformed 
the lives of billions of peo ple, national economies and resulted in economic development and job 
creation.  
The principle of a commitment to open trade is a cornerstone of Ireland' s trade philosophy.  Ireland 
as a small and advanced economy that has trade links with every corner of th e globe and fully 
supports the rules -based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its centre.  
The world economy is now operating in an unprecedented time of economic uncertainty and 
upheaval, with trade and geo -political tensions heightened in many p arts of the world.  As a result, 
the pursuit of an open, rules -based and multilateral trade policy agenda is becoming increasingly 
challenging.  We must be vigilant not to reverse the benefits of trade that we have generated since 
the GATT.  
Next year, the W TO will mark 30 years in existence, one of the youngest of the international 
organi zations.  The first Director -General of the WTO, Mr Peter Sutherland , was an Irishman. When 
he led the negotiations of the Uruguay Round, which resulted in the creation of th e WTO, there were 
123 signatories to that agreement.  I find it heartening that , despite some of the challenges to the 
WTO, countries still see the benefit of the multilateral trading system and now the Membership of 
164 Members will be joined by the two mo st recent acceding countries : Timor -Leste and Comoros. 
I welcome them to the global trading family at this gathering of Trade Ministers.  
We have important issues on our agenda for this week. I fully agree with the current 
Director -General, Dr Ngozi, that this MC has to be the reform Ministerial, and for Ireland that means 
making progress on dispute settlement reform.  
The dispute settlement mechanism is a vital element of the WTO. It is the great leveller, as it treats 
all Members e qually, regardless of size or economic might. It is important that we have a clear 
roadmap to restoring that system, as agreed at the last Ministerial in 2022.  
For the WTO to maintain its relevance, it must demonstrate its ability to address emerging 
challenges, such as digital trade, sustainability and climate.  By adapting its rules to the realities of 
the 21st century, the WTO can become a more responsive and effective institution.  Our commitment 
to sustainable trade can be best illustrated by reaching a n outcome on the second phase of the 
fisheries agreement.  
Our rules should support the modern economy, and the eCommerce moratorium is one way to 
ensure the free flow of digital goods. We should not be adding unnecessary frictions to global trade. 
Without  a multilateral agreement on this issue, it will result in economic fragmentation. We must 
keep the moratorium in place.   WT/MIN(24)/ST/75  
 
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  There are other important topics that we need to address including on agriculture and food security, 
and industrial subsidies, and I l ook forward to debating these with the WTO Membership, this week.   
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