WT/MIN(17)/67  
20 December 2017  
(17-7121) Page: 1/3 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh  Session  
Buenos Aires , 10-13 December 20 17 Original: Spanish  
 
 
ELEVENTH MINISTERIAL  CONFERENCE  
CLOSING  STATEMENT BY THE CHA IRPERSON  
At this closing event of the eleventh Ministerial Conference I wish to begin by reiterating that it has 
been an honour to Chair these proceedings. I assumed this role with a great sense of 
responsibility, especially since this year marks the 50th anniversa ry of Argentina's accession to 
the GATT.  
 
This will be my summary of the main points that have emerged from the conversations and 
negotiations h eld over the three days of the C onference.  
 
I submit this summary under my own responsibility and in my capacity  as Chairperson of the 
conference. Though n ot exhaustive, it will – I hope – reflect the main points emerging from the 
work done during these days.  
 
With this overview,  I wish to begin building a narrative that br ings the WTO closer to 
ordinary  people.  
 
The Conference opened  with a strong demonstration of support for the multilateral trading system 
and multilateralism by the Presidents of Latin America . As stated in the declaration signed by the 
Presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Guyana, Mexi co, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam e and 
Uruguay, the region "[reaffirms ] that multilateralism is the best way to take advantage of the 
opportunities and to face the challenges of international trade  … [and confirms ] the importance of 
preserving and strengthening the multilateral trading system, including its dispute settlement 
mechanism, in order to promote the rules -based, open, transparent , inclusive, non -discriminatory  
and equitable trade embodie d in the WTO, providing it with the tools it needs to face the 
challenges of the 21st century" . 
 
Allow me to recall President Macri's eloquent exhortation to balance national interest s with our 
shared  interest in the common good. As the Director -General  has just eloquently indicated , we 
have not risen to the challenge of  this call by President Macri.  
 
In their statements to the plenary, Ministers also recognized the important role played by the WTO 
in promoting economic gro wth, employment and development ; and they reaffirmed the principles 
and objectives established by th e Marrakesh Agreements. They also recognized that the system is 
not perfect and that it is essential to strengthen the commitment to work towards its 
enhancement . 
 
Important decisions were taken at this Ministerial for the integration of developing  country  
Members  and least developing countries in the  international trading system, i ncluding a work 
programme on small economies and the establishment of a working party on the accession of the 
world's youngest nation, South Sudan, which we have just approved. It is highly noteworthy that 
counties emerging from situations of deep conflict see in the WTO an opportunity to consolidate 
their institutions.  
 
Over the past thre e days, Ministers engaged intensively in trying to move forward in numerous 
areas of our negotiations: agriculture, special and differential treatment, fisheries subsidies, 
domestic regulation in services, a proposal on transparency in regulatory measures in NAMA , and 
e-commerce. Allow  me once again  to express my profound  gratitude to the facilit ators who WT/MIN(17)/67  
 
- 2 - 
 
  assisted the Director -General and myself and led the efforts to steer the negotiations and reconcile 
positions in each of those areas.  
 
All Members worked  hard and constructively to make progress in each area. Commitment and 
effort went into finding genuine solutions, but the results were not sufficient.  
 
These efforts have borne fruit in the definition of parameters for our future work, with a number of 
specific decisions.  
 
I would like  to emphasize that after years of negotiation, in Buenos Aires we have for the first time 
taken  a significant step forward with the decision on fisheries subsidies. A work programme has 
been adopted to continue the negotiatio ns on fis heries subsidies, including renewed commitment 
to the implementation of existing notification obligations. Buenos Aires will no doubt be 
remembered as the Conference at which the fisheries negotiation was launched in earnest.  
 
The decisions also i nclude a work programme on electronic commerce.  
 
There are some remaining topics, which our representatives should continue negotiating and on 
which there will be periodic reports to the General Council. Members agreed to advance  
negotiations on all remain ing issues, including  on the thre e pillars of agriculture, namely  domestic 
support, market access and export competition, as well as non-agriculture market access, 
services, development, TRIPS , rules , and trade and environment . 
 
We have received some speci fic requests from groups of Member countries. Allow me to mention 
the request on small, vulnerable economies , another from Article XII Members, another from 
graduated least-developed countries, Members that have suffered natural disasters, transparency 
in preferential trade arrangements, net food importing developing countries; if I have omitted 
anything please let me know, and it will be added forthwith.  
 
We also had a large number of initiatives from groups of like -minded Members, aimed at  
addressing  the broader challenges of international trade, in order to make  international trade more 
inclusive. These initiatives included discussions  on investment facilitation and  the integration of 
micro, small and medium -sized enterprises in to international trade . Attention was also drawn to 
the importance of continuing work on e -commerce.  
 
I received the Declaration on Trade and  Woman's  Economic Empowerment and the 
recommendations from business leaders arising from the Business Forum . 
 
At this point, I wish once again to thank the Director -General and my three Vice Chairs for their 
support and assistance in handling a very full and heavy agenda, with an unprecedented number 
of side events.  
 
These side events included a parliamentary conference, a business forum, a nd a symposium on 
trade and development, among others. These events made it possible to expand the scope of the 
Ministerial to the public sector, businesses, civil society and academia. We truly took  the 
Conference beyond the negotiating tables and that is  the message we must transmit.  
 
For the first time in the history of these conferences, we held a Ministers' dialog ue session , which 
enabled us to confirm that there are many issues of shared interest that we have no opportunity to 
discuss in the context  of the Organization's regular activities.  
 
I think it highly important to emphasize that , throughout the process, we have been inclusive and 
have enabled everyone to participate. P ersonally , during  the preparations  for the Conference,  I 
made an effort to ap proach everyone  and listen to all their vi ews, in order to understand their 
concerns and differences, and in particular to identify commonalities.  
 
Members reaffirmed the principles and objectives set out in the Marrakes h Agreement s 
Establishing the WTO. T hey pledged their shared commitment to the WTO's rules -based system , 
which is a key driver for economic growth, development and job creation for all Members.  
 WT/MIN(17)/67  
 
- 3 - 
 
  They confirmed the principles of consensus, inclusiv ity and transparency and committed to 
working  together to improve the functioning of the WTO and to ensure that it achieves its 
objectives for the benefit of all Members.  
 
They reiterated the provisions of paragraphs 30 and 31 of the Nairobi Ministerial D eclaration, 
committed to work  towards more effective implementation and enforcement of WTO rules as 
negotiated and agreed by all, and str essed the importance of implementing  Decisions by Members . 
 
They welcomed the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and supported its  full 
implemen tation. They also welcomed the P rotocol amending the TRIPS Agreement.  
 
Obviously, there remain  difference s of opinion on the Doha Round and the Doha Development 
Agenda , which have  hampered progress on issues that the developing countr y Members  consider 
essential to achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.  
 
The Eleventh Ministerial Conference has come to an end, but this is definitely not the end of our 
work. The decisions adopted in Buenos Aires will guide  the work in Geneva during th e 
coming  years.  
 
It has been  noted on multiple occasions that the international trading system is at a crossroads. 
This makes it necessary to rekindle trust and find common areas for forward movement on 
outstanding issues.  
 
We agreed  in Buenos Aires that d ialogue, and not just negotiation, is part of our work. We need to 
commit ourselves to consultative mechanisms through which to find solutions for forward 
movement in all areas of interest. All Members have a shared responsibility to provide that space 
for dialog ue. Let Buenos Air es be remembered as the place where  we initiated that dialog ue. 
I urge you to  continue working  and engaging in  dialog ue, with the firm aim of ensuring that all the 
benefits of international trade reach all our citizens. This is wha t we agreed in the 2030 Agenda, 
where we pledged to leave no one behind.  
 
At the conclusion of our min i-Ministerial meeting in Marrakes h, I said that "there is life after 
Buenos Aires". I confirm today that there is life after Buenos Aires. But it lies wit h us to give 
meaning and value to that life. Thank you.  
 
__________