WT/MIN(15)/ST/59  
21 December 2015  
(15-6786)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MS ANNASCY MWANYANGAPO 
DEPUTY PERMANENT SECRETARY; MINISTRY OF INDUSTRIALIZATION, TRADE 
AND SME DEVELOPMENT 
NAMIBIA  
First, let me congratulate His Excellency, Presid ent Uhuru Kenyatta and the people of Kenya for 
hosting the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, the first ever on African soil.  
This Ministerial Conference is taking place at a time of severe uncertainties for the world economic 
outlook. The gap between rich and poor is widening, sovereign debt crises and vulnerabilities in financial institutions in both, developing and developed countries have led to slowing global 
economic growth, weakening currencies in especially developing economies and High 
unemployment figures. Commodity prices have crashed and are projected to remain low for some time. 
 
Namibia as a small and open economy with a narrow-base is highly vulnerable to external shocks. Namibia's economy is highly dependent on international trade. According to the country report submitted to the WTO Trade Policy Review Body in 2015 Namibia' average trade to GDP ratio 
stood at 95.6% for the period 2011-13. The same report ranked Namibia 88th among world 
merchandise exporters (excluding intra-EU tr ade), and 85th among importers for the 2013/14 
period. In services trade Namibia ranked 109t h among exporters and 120th among importers. 
Unfortunately however, Namibia's exported goods consisted of commodities in raw form whereas 
the imports were by and large finished goods.  
This Ministerial Conference should therefore be focused on strengthening the multilateral trading 
system to ensure fair trade and sufficient policy space to industrialize and diversify African economies. Africa and developing economies n eed deeper economic integration and enhanced 
trade; regional value chains aimed at improving value of natural resources and higher value share 
in commodities that developing countries trade in must be achieved. The outcome of the 10th MC 
must also ensure that for the prosperity created through free trade to be meaningful it must be shared more equitably across the globe. 
 
For this to happen, we cannot pretend that the DDA is no longer relevant. We believe the opposite is the case, the developmental aspects of the Doha  Agenda must be invigorated and accelerated to 
achieve positive results for the developing worl d towards accelerated economic growth, improved 
production and supply capacity, more diversified economies, equitable value sharing across global value chains, reduced distortion in trade in agricultural and food commodities and reduced 
vulnerability for small economies.  
 
With respect to specifically the Doha Developm ent Agenda, we have noted with disappointment 
that despite resolutions taken by the MC 9 in Bali, that is to develop a timeframe for the rolling out 
of the remaining elements of the DDA, this was not implemented at all. We must continue to strive 
to find common ground, starting with a finalizati on of a detailed work programme with specific 
timelines and agenda issues to be negotiated with the aim of concluding the remaining DDA 
negotiations.  
 Namibia still holds the view that development oriented modalities must have substantial outcomes in strengthening and consolidating the special and differential treatment elements in each 
negotiating area of the Doha Work Programme, including in agriculture, NAMA and services. WT/MIN(15)/ST/59 
 
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  We hold the view that agriculture accounts fo r the most trade-distorted elements of the 
international trading system and it remains the most important component of the DDA Programme. This is where a large part of our development gains will be derived from. Agriculture should also set the level of ambition for NAMA and Services. 
 
On Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA), my  delegation urges other WTO Members to be 
sensitive to Africa’s industrialization needs and strategies, and to carve out adequate policy space 
for Africa’s developing and LDC countries to enable  them to improve their industrial capacity and 
to diversify their economies.  
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