WT/MIN(17)/ST/55  
15 December 2017  
(17-6988) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh  Session  
Buenos Aires , 10-13 December 20 17 Original: Spanish  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR  CLAREMS ENDARA VERA  
DEPUTY MINISTER OF F OREIGN TRADE AND INT EGRATION  
PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA  
I would like to extend my greetings to the Chair of the Eleventh  Ministerial Conference  – 
Ms Susana Malcorra,  the WTO Director -General  – Mr Azevêdo, the Chairs of the various 
Committees, the Heads of Delegation, and the delegates accredited to attend this important 
meeting . 
 
Thank you to our sister Republic of Argentin a for the warm welcome , and congratulations on the 
magnificent organization of this Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference. Our work focuses on various 
issues that we consider fundamental and on which I would like to comment : 
 
In agriculture, food security re serves are vital for guaranteeing food for our people , and we 
therefore support a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding for food security 
purposes – one that determines the application and expansion of this mechanism by developing 
countrie s.  
 
Regarding  domestic support , we support decisions that eliminate trade -distorting domestic support 
but not when this is done by applying the same conditions to developing and developed countries ; 
special and differential treatment is an established rig ht in this Organization . 
 
Approaches that seek to reduce  Aggregate Measurement of Support and de minimis  levels by 
applying similar percentages to everyone do not reflect the principles of proportionality and  
fairness. In  some developing countries such support  is necessary to help the agricultural sector 
develop, while for other countries it serves to distort international trade .  
 
Regarding the Development Agenda , Bolivia supports the G-90 proposal, especially since our 
national objective under the economic, social, communitarian and productive model is to diversify 
exports and promote the c ountry's industrial development. Accordingly,  we believe that the 
outcomes of this Eleventh Ministerial Conference should be balanced and include development 
issues . 
 
With regard to services, we have extensively discussed the draft text put forward  and have 
expressed our concerns  in this respect; the documents still present a number of problems for 
many Members, as is clear f rom the submissions received, and for this r eason we believe that 
work should continue with a view to building  consensus .  
 
We consider MSMEs to be an important issue. I n my country, most sou rces of employment are 
concentrate d in this sector, but we must be clear that MSMEs  in Bolivia , or in any other developing 
country, particularly if it is a small and vulnerable economy, are not the same as those in a 
developed country. Any decision we make in this regard should therefore refer to the national 
standard , as it is national legislation tha t defines what an MSME  is.  
 
We consider t he proposal on investment facilitation  to be a fundamental decision for attracting 
investment to developing countries, but we must be careful: no agreement, decision or mandate 
issued must limit the State's ability  to regulate .  
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  With r egard to e -commerce, we need a d ecision based on the 1998 work programme , as 
implemented by  the relevant WTO bodies, that enables us to adapt to the reality of world trade 
today . Any outcome in this area must take into consideration the reality of small and vulnerable 
economies . 
 
We are here to meet the WTO's objec tives and  to create instruments that help States meet these 
objectives, instruments that benefit our people; we are not he re to create instruments that benefit 
large companies to the detriment of the sat isfaction of our people's needs. W e must  steer our 
mandates back towards these  objectives.  
 
Lastly, I would like to comment on a matter of serious concern . We have introduced new 
discussion topics in recent years, but have not yet completed the clear and precise mandate given 
to us in Doha , which is still in effect . It is our duty to reaffirm the mandate so that our 
representatives in Geneva can work to complete it and provide us with proposals on how to move 
forward on development issues before the next Ministerial Conference . 
 
This Confer ence should not end without this mandate having been reaffir med. We are aware that 
for many of us,  the reality on which the Doha mandate was based is still our reality today and we 
must work to meet its objectives . 
 
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