WT/MIN(24)/ST/5  
26 February 2024  
(24-1366) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth  Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY MS PAMELA COKE -HAMILTON  
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR  
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE 
(Speaking as an Observer)  
I want to thank the government and the people of the United Arab Emirates for hosting this 
thirteenth Ministerial Conference.   
 
When we last convened in this format for MC12, we were finally beginning to see some signs of hope 
after a pandemic that ravaged our economies, killed millions of people, and brought the world to a 
standstill.  
 
The outcomes of MC12 delivered  on that hope, and I know many of you will remember the 
excitement of bringing the Geneva Package over the finish line after so many sleepless nights.   
 
Today, "crisis mode " is becoming endemic throughout the world. From climate change 's daily toll to 
the outbreak and intensification of conflicts, it 's clear that we live in a time when we can take nothing 
for granted.  
 
But what we must remember is that crises don 't just test our resilience  – they give us a chance to 
show our resolve. And resolve is what we  need to ensure the multilateralism that underpins 
international cooperation stays strong. To ensure that we prioritize the people whose lives will be 
shaped by decisions taken in forums like these.  
 
At ITC, we see firsthand how crises affect small busine sses. Our researchers, who saw how the SMEs 
we were working with on the ground were increasingly experiencing fragility, devoted the 2023 SME 
Competitiveness Outlook to studying this at a global scale, and what it would take to break out of 
the "vicious cy cle" of fragility for good.  
 
And what they found is that those same small businesses are critical in making fragility a thing of 
the past  – but they can 't do it alone. They need all hands on deck, from governments to international 
agencies, from development partners to large companies.   
 
Last year, when I was in Dubai for COP28, I was fortunate to spend time with the entrepreneurs 
who were part of our ITC delegation  – and the solutions they 'd developed to help tackle the climate 
crisis were nothin g short of extraordinary.   
 
For instance, Rayana Edwards from South Africa is the founder of Sari for Change. Her business isn 't 
just tackling waste and reducing emissions by taking in old saris and upcycling them, but it 's creating 
jobs for women in the c ommunity. And it 's premised on the idea of "paying it forward ", of passing 
down family garments and using them to create new memories.  
 
Our goal at ITC, as it has been throughout our 60 years of operation, is to make sure that trade 
works for everyone, and not just for the few  – because we know from experience that changing 
trade means changing lives. But how the multilateral trading system works  – and where it doesn 't – 
makes a critical difference in how far these efforts can go.  
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  That's what  I want to impart to you ahead of the important deliberations you 'll be undertaking this 
week on fisheries subsidies, agriculture, investment facilitation, electronic commerce, and WTO 
reform. What you say here, what you do here, and how you leave this pla ce will shape lives and 
livelihoods for years to come.  
 
I would also like to extend my congratulations to Comoros and Timor -Leste as they prepare to 
become full -fledged members of the WTO family. At ITC, we know from our experience supporting 
acceding WTO  Members that completing the accession process isn 't the end of the journey, but 
rather a milestone in a longer story, and we stand ready to continue supporting them every step of 
the way.   
 
I know the days ahead for trade ministers are critical, and that you have a short window to deliver 
big wins. ITC is here to support WTO Members as they put their decisions into practice and wishes 
to express its full support for the Director -General and her staff during this Ministerial Conference 
and in the work that follows.   
 
Before I close, I ask that you remember this over the coming days. What you are discussing here is 
about much more than trade law, more than the global economy and its resilience to those 
"headwinds " that we so often hear talked about. It 's abou t people and their ability to thrive, to 
support their families, and to serve their communities. People like Rayana, and so many others 
around the world, who are relying on you to put their needs first.  
 
Thank you and I wish you a successful Ministerial C onference.   
 
__________