WT/MIN(22)/16  
 
13 June 2022  
(22-4594) Page: 1/3 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 202 2 Original: English  
 
 
COMMUNIQUÉ – ARAB MINISTERIAL MEETING  
GENEVA, 12 JUNE 2022  
The following communication, dated 12 June 2022 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab Group .  
 
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We, the Ministers and Heads of Delegations of the Arab Countries, have met on 12 June 2022 in 
Geneva, Switzerland on the margins of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade 
Organization (MC12).  
We reiterate  the common positions  adopted in our Ministerial Meeting held in virtual format on 
31 October 2021, and circulated in document number (WT/GC/236).  
We confirm  our commitment to active participation in MC12, to ensure its success and to reach 
meaningful, fair and balanced outco mes that will serve the special needs of developing and Least 
Developed Members, including those of the Arab countries.  
We reaffirm  the principles and objectives set out in the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the 
WTO, and commit to strengthen the rules -based multilateral trading system. We also recall the 
Declarations and Decisions adopted at the previous WTO Ministerial Conferences that have been 
held since then and reaffirm our full commitment to give effect to them. In this regard, we reiterate 
our comm itment to the Doha Development Agenda, as well as to the regular work of the WTO.  
We express  our deep concern  about the impacts of rising food prices and supply chain disruptions 
on food security as a result of the combined effects of the global pandemic and the current 
geopolitical challenges.  
We affirm  that  a peaceful,   stable, healthy   and enabling social, economic   and political environment 
is essential to accord priority to economic resilience, food security and poverty eradication.  
We underscore the need for additional flexibilities to allow developing countries, in particular 
Net-Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) and  Least Developed Countries  (LDCs), to 
enhance their agricultural productive capacities and agricultural reg imes.  
We reaffirm  the importance of ensuring the continued flow of food and inputs essential for 
agricultural and food production and supply chains. In this context, we call on WTO Members not to 
impose agriculture export restrictions and refrain from implementing unjustif ied trade barriers on 
agriculture and agri -food products and key agricultural production inputs, considering the needs of 
NFIDCs and LDCs to restrict exports of food products as they deem necessary for food security 
purposes. Furthermore, we call on WTO Members , and in accordance with relevant WTO decisions, 
not to impose restrictions on foodstuffs purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes by 
the World Food Programme.  
We value  all calls on the international community to take urgent action to addre ss food insecurity, 
and support vulnerable countries, in particular Net Food Importing Developing Countries and LDCs , 
including by providing financing to meet the most urgent needs.  WT/MIN(22)/16  
 
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  We stress the need for WTO Ministers to use MC12 as an opportunity to adop t concrete decisions 
in support of effective responses to mitigate food insecurity risks in situations of global food market 
price hikes and volatility.  
We affirm the need to adopt and implement the proper policy tools and instruments as contained 
in the W TO agreements that support production expansion, diversification and technology transfer 
as means to raise living standards, achieve socio -economic development and increase the share of 
developing countries and LDCs in global trade.  
We recognize  that the e conomic and social disruption caused by the COVID -19 pandemic is 
devastating, and that the WTO has a significant role to play in managing recovery from the impact 
of the current pandemic as well as preparing for future pandemics. We welcome the proposal   for a 
temporary waiver of certain TRIPS obligations in response to COVID -19 and future pandemics. In 
this regard, we call upon members to adopt other initiatives including IP solutions aimed at ensuring 
undisrupted supply chains for critical medical supplies  and equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics 
and diagnostics to address current and future pandemics as well as creating favorable conditions for 
a stable, predictable and transparent trade environment for the relevant products and services.  
We welcome  the continued commitment of Members to conclude the fisheries subsidies to fulfil the 
mandate under SDG 14.6 and that of the WTO for those negotiations. We emphasize that fisheries 
negotiations should take into account the provisions of special and differe ntial treatment (SDT) with 
a view to reaching a balanced and mutually acceptable outcome, that contributes to poverty 
eradication, livelihood and food security , and serve the development needs of the WTO Members 
and in particular developing countries and L DCs.  
We stress  the importance of reaching an effective solution to address the imbalance in the 
Agreement on Agriculture and the food security needs of developing  and Least Developed Members. 
We also emphasize the need for addressing all outstanding issue s in Agriculture negotiations, 
particularly those of critical importance to developing and Least Developed Members, such as 
Trade -Distorting Domestic Support, Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes (PSH), and the 
Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM).  
We recognize  the difficulties that Net -Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) and LDCs 
continue to face since the Uruguay Round, and we stress on the importance of according specific 
measures and flexibilities to NFIDCs in all agriculture negotiatio ns.  
We reaffirm  the centrality of the development dimension to the multilateral trading system. The 
system must be responsive to the needs and realities of developing and Least Developed Members.  
We underscore  the importance of Special and Differential Tr eatment (S&DT) provisions in the WTO 
agreements, and agree that all S&DT provisions have to be reviewed with a view to strengthen and 
make them more precise, effective, and operational.  
We recognize  the extensive commitments made by Article XII Members dur ing their respective 
accessions, and the need to give full recognition and proper consideration to their special situation 
in the negotiations.  
We emphasize  the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in enabling developing 
and Least Developed Members to engage effectively in the multilateral trading system and the global 
economy.  
We believe  that an active engagement, a strong political will  and a full understanding of the scope 
and elements of the WTO proposed reform , are required to advance the reform process. In this 
regard, we recognize the contribution that the Riyadh Initiative on the Future of the WTO has made 
by providing an additiona l opportunity to discuss and reaffirm the objectives and foundational 
principles of the Multilateral Trading System and to demonstrate ongoing political support for WTO 
reform discussions. We therefore believe that the Riyadh Initiative could form a good b asis for further 
discussion among the entire membership towards the necessary reform of the WTO.  WT/MIN(22)/16  
 
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  We underscore  the importance of a well -functioning Dispute Settlement   System. We therefore 
encourage all Members to redouble their efforts to find ways to rest ore and improve the functioning 
of this system, without delaying a solution to the prolonged Appellate Body impasse.  
We acknowledge  that accession to the WTO is a crucial step for countries striving for development 
and integration into the multilateral tra ding system. Therefore, we call upon all WTO Members to 
facilitate and accelerate the accession of developing and Least Developed Countries , including Arab 
Countries , and extend all possible assistance for a smooth and successful accession process.  
We reaf firm the support to the League of Arab States ' request for observer status in the Ministerial 
Conferences, councils, bodies and committees of the World Trade Organization.  
We believe  that, there is a real need to ensure that any request by an Intergovernme ntal 
Organization (IGO) to acquire a permanent and/or ad hoc Observer Status in the WTO , should be 
based on the technical merits of such request. We also believe that all Intergovernmental 
Organizations (IGOs) should be treated on an equal footing, and tha t the process of considering 
their participation in Ministerial Conferences should remain technical, transparent and objective, as 
well as the screening process shall be undertaken on the basis of Annex III of the rules of procedure 
of the Ministerial Conf erence.  
We assert  our continued and unwavering support for the State of Palestine 's request for observer 
status in the General Council and its subsidiary bodies. While being mindful of the fact that the 
Government of Palestine practices trade regulations in all areas covered by WTO law. Members are 
encouraged to provide a favorable consideration to Palestine 's request for observer status at the 
General Council. In order to enhance the inclusive nature of the WTO, we are of the view that request 
for observe r status cannot be denied on the basis of political considerations.  
We reiterate  the importance of recognizing the Arabic language as one of the official working 
languages in the WTO, as it is the case in the United Nations Organizations. Arabic is one of the 
most spoken native languages in the world; accordingly, the recognition of Arabic as a WTO working 
language would facilitate active participation and enhance the integration of Arab States in the 
multilateral trading system.  
We express  our thanks to th e Government of the United Arab Emirates for offering to host the 
WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference. We consider this generous offer as a clear sign of the UAE 's 
commitment to the multilateral trading system. We welcome and support this candidacy.  
We expre ss our sincere appreciation to the Republic of Kazakhstan for chairing the MC12 and for 
the Government and people of Switzerland for their hospitality and excellent work in hosting this 
Conference.  
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