WT/MIN(22)/ST/53  
12 June 2022 
(22-4490) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 2022  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY HON. DR. VILIAMI UASIKE LATU  
MINISTER , MINISTRY OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT  
TONGA 
I wish to join all members in congratulating you Your Excellency Mr. Suleimenov in assuming your 
role as Chair of the 12th Ministerial Conference. Although I am not present in person due to an 
unavoidable commitment, I wish to assure you of my Delegation 's full support.  
 
I take this opportunity to thank the co -hosts for organizing and ensuring the 12th Ministerial 
Conference t akes place in order to continue the important work set out for us.  
 
Allow me also to thank the host country, the Government and people of Switzerland for the warm 
reception and generous hospitality extended to my delegation since their arrival in Geneva.    
 
Two years have passed with the COVID -19 pandemic affecting lives and crippling economies at a 
global level. No country or economy was safe from the impact of COVID -19. For a small vulnerable 
economy with a limited export base like Tonga, the pandemic aff ected 30 per cent of our economy. 
While the pandemic has thankfully shown signs of abating, and becoming more endemic in nature, 
the challenges of post -COVID economic recovery and resilience -building remains.  
 
The WTO has its work set out for it, includin g the critical work of framing appropriate trade policy 
responses, within a robust WTO pandemic response framework to deal with the economic aftermath 
of both current and future health crises and pandemics. We understand that some members have 
taken steps to frame an outline of how the Intellectual Property system could begin to address these 
challenges. Tonga believes that this will be vital in reinforcing the WTO 's relevance and credibility 
as an inclusive and responsive multilateral institution which is capable of addressing critical public 
health challenges.  
 
Additionally, the COVID -19 pandemic exposed the challenges posed by concentrated vaccine 
production, supply bottlenecks and imbalance in global supply and access. This has underscored the 
issues of  vaccine inequity, monopolistic tendencies and hoarding of vaccine and other health related 
products in times of health crises. It is critical that any WTO comprehensive response to the 
pandemic addresses the disproportionality faced by small island develo ping states who rely on 
imports of critical life -saving health products and technologies.  
 
Tonga, like most small island developing states continue to encounter natural disasters and climate 
change impacts.  Tonga at present is ranked the second most at risk country to natural disasters. 
The impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on Tonga 's economy was exacerbated by the unprecedented 
and catastrophic event of the Hunga -Tonga Hunga – Ha'apai undersea volcanic eruption and 
tsunami which saw damages valued at USD $90million, the equivalent of 18.5% of our GDP. The 
ongoing recovering and rebuilding was only possible with the support of donor partners, to which 
we are deeply grateful.  
 
This event clearly underscores the multitude of risks and vulnerabilities to natur al disasters, climate 
change and global pandemics which small island developing states (SIDS) such as Tonga encounter. 
The Multilateral Trading System is vital in creating a level playing field which recognizes these 
vulnerabilities and in advancing trade and development interests for small island developing states.  
In this regard, we welcome and strongly support the extension of the Small Vulnerable Economies 
Work Programme.  WT/MIN( 22)/ST/ 53 
 
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Tonga values the importance of understanding the nexus between trade, climate ch ange and natural 
disasters is critical. This is supported by the work on Trade and Natural Disasters. We call upon the 
WTO to have this topic as a mainstay discussion and identify avenues on how vulnerable Members 
can use the MTS for recovery and resilienc e efforts, so that we as SVEs can meaningfully integrate 
into the work programme of the WTO.  
 
We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the Chair of the Pacific Group, the OACPS 
Ministerial Declaration, the Commonwealth and the Small and Vulnerable Economies Group. We urge 
the WTO to initiate work to examine and strengthen the current WTO working definition of SVEs, to 
help overcome the definitional challenges that have constrained progress on SVE issues at the WTO.  
We support and call on the formal adoption of a Small Vulnerable Economies Ministerial Decision 
during MC12.  
 
Tonga, like most coastal countries and small island developing states is heavily dependent on its 
fisheries and ocean resources for food security, livelihoods, and econo mic development. Tonga 
supports the conclusion of a meaningful, transparent, and collective agreement that will prohibit and 
discipline harmful subsidies. An agreement that is in line with the mandates of SDG 14.6 and MC11, 
that prohibits certain forms of fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing and 
eliminate subsides that contribute to IUU fishing, whilst securing effective and appropriate 
flexibilities that allows for the development of our fisheries industries in the future.  
 
Similar to Fisheries, Agriculture is an important sector for Tonga. We have witnessed the impacts of 
the global pandemic on the agricultural supply chains, which has countries setting policy measures 
to curb potentially adverse impacts on their domestic ma rkets. As a Net Food Importing Developing 
Country and a co -sponsor to the JSI of the World Food Programme (WFP) it is crucial to keep markets 
open, trade flowing smoothly and supply chains functioning properly.  
 
In this regard, Tonga supports a standalone  Decision at MC12 on the exemption from export 
restrictions of WFP purchases for humanitarian reasons, considering Tonga has benefitted from such 
support from the wake of natural disasters. We also support the declaration on food security at MC12 
to includ e recognition of the specific needs of developing countries such as those in the Pacific Region 
that are highly dependent (NFIDC) on energy and food and would be most vulnerable by the food 
crisis and rising food and energy prices.  
 
The WTO has been under strain and its credibility questioned. Amidst these conditions, the 
Multilateral Trading System (MTS) needs to be strengthened, to ensure that it supports all members, 
particularly the most capacity constrained to participate effectively and benefit from t he rules -based 
system. Comprehensive dialogues on the modalities of the WTO reform are necessary. The substance 
of the reform should be built upon the development of international trade, accelerate the attainment 
of the SDGs, pursued in a fair, transparent  and equitable manner and reinforce the core development 
principles in the Marrakesh agreement. Tonga supports the work on the WTO reform to ensure we 
have a fully functional organization that provides a level playing field in world trade for all members 
especially the most vulnerable.  
 
We wish to convey Tonga 's support for the extension of the moratorium on customs duties on 
electronic transmissions to MC13 to address the digital divide facing developing countries, until a 
thorough study is conducted of th e implications on consumers, businesses, government revenues 
and digital development.  
 
As a non -resident member of the WTO, we have benefitted immensely from the support provided 
by the Secretariat to facilitate our participation in the work of the WTO. I  wish to thank the 
Secretariat and encourage them to continue this invaluable and productive support. I also take this 
opportunity to thank all our partners, including the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Pacific Islands 
Forum Secretariat who continue to p rovide essential support for Tonga 's engagement in the WTO.  
 
To conclude Chair, I hope that the Twelfth Ministerial conference will achieve a positive, balanced, 
and ambitious outcome, that could demonstrate to all the value and relevance of the Multilater al 
trading system with WTO at its core.  
 
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