WT/MIN(24)/ST/107  
26 February  2024 
(24-1658) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR ABDULLA BIN ADEL FAKHRO  
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE  
KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN  
I am honored to represent the Kingdom of Bahrain at the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference in the 
beautiful and historic city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.   
 
I am also greatly honored to convey the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King 
of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and His Roya l Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown 
Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the Government and the people of 
the Kingdom of Bahrain to H.H. Sheikh Mohamed  bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Government and the 
people of th e United Arab Emirates, and to commend their outstanding hospitality and excellent 
organization of this important Ministerial Conference.   
 
As we gather here at MC13 amidst unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the pivotal role 
played by the World Tr ade Organization for the solid maintenance and support of the multilateral 
trading system, the sustained expansion of world trade, and the economic and social development 
of developing and least  developed countries cannot be understated.   
 
As a founding Member of the WTO and a strong supporter of open global trade, the Kingdom of 
Bahrain is committed to the success of this Conference and the continued strength of this 
Organization.   
 
In line with our commitment, the Kingdom of Bahrain is prepared to make me aningful contributions 
to ensure that MC13 yields tangible results. In this regard, we look forward to actively engaging in 
discussions on key issues including food security measures, fisheries subsidies disciplines, the 
development dimension, and other ar eas of vital interest. We also place a particular emphasis on 
fostering an environment that encourages the active participation of developing nations, recognizing 
their unique challenges and potential.   
 
The Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain highly valu es the effectiveness of an open and 
rules-based multilateral trading system in contributing to global economic development and 
prosperity.  
 
In this vein, we affirm the need to adopt and implement the proper policy tools and instruments as 
contained in the  WTO agreements that support production expansion, diversification, and technology 
transfer as a means to raise living standards, achieve socio -economic development and increase the 
share of developing countries and LDCs in global trade.   
 
In light of the spiralling food costs and supply chain disruptions, countries worldwide are confronted 
with the worst food shortages in decades. As this takes effect, trade liberalization is becoming even 
more important to tackle ongoing and upcoming globa l challenges on a multilateral level.  
 
Being a traditional free market economy, and liberal trading country, the Kingdom of Bahrain 
maintains a profound interest in its trade expansion and its investment growth.   
 
In this context, the Kingdom of Bahrain a lso welcomes developments and discussions in the areas 
of investment facilitation, e -commerce, the digital economy and MSMEs as a pre -requisite to creating 
an open and fair trading environment with development and inclusiveness at its core.  WT/MIN(24)/ST/107  
 
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  Inclusive trad e through the World Trade Organization has long been recognized as a catalyst for the 
economic growth and poverty reduction that contributes to the promotion of sustainable 
development both by the UN 2030 Agenda and its accompanying Sustainable Development  Goals.   
 
In this regard, the Kingdom of Bahrain renews its firm support for the Arab countries currently 
negotiating their accession to the WTO and ha s been encouraged by the progress that has been 
made in their respect so far. In the same vein, we reiter ate our support for according WTO observer 
status to The League of Arab States, one of the most prominent regional Intergovernmental 
Organizations in the world.   
 
We also extend a warm welcome to the Union of the  Comoros and the Democratic Republic of 
Timor-Leste as they join the World Trade Organization. Their accession to the WTO marks a 
significant step forward in fostering global economic cooperation and integration.  
 
In conclusion, I take this opportunity to renew our delegation's commitment to the su ccess of MC13 
and to the attainment of concrete and equitable outcomes based on a framework of global 
coordination and cooperation to achieve positive results in areas of vital interest in the multilateral 
trading system.   
 
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