WT/MIN(15)/ST/74
21 December 2015
(15-6803)  Page: 1/3
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English
 
STATEMENT BY HON AR NOLD J. NICHOLSON 
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE 
JAMAICA AND ALSO ON BEHALF OF CARICOM  
Jamaica wishes to congratulate Kenya, host of this Ministerial Conference, for the excellent 
arrangements for this conference and to assure the Government of Kenya of Jamaica’s full support in ensuring the success of this historic Ministerial.  
I also wish to congratulate Liberia and Afghanistan on their accessions which bring the 
membership of the WTO to 163. This demonstrates  our confidence in the rules-based multilateral 
trading system (MTS) and the role of the WTO.  A rules-based Multilateral Trade System is critical 
as it provides greater predictability and transparency in global trade relations. This is particularly 
important for small and vulnerable economies (SVEs), like Jamaica and other CARICOM countries, which are highly dependent on trade and for whom trade is a primary engine of growth and 
development. 
 The MTS is not perfect. There are necessary reforms that must be undertaken in order to ensure that countries, such as those in the Caribbean, can truly secure economic gains from trade and 
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030.  As you know, trade is a means of 
implementing these Goals.   
The WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is expected to deliver essential changes to the 
multilateral trading system placing the needs and interests of developing countries at its core. We h a v e  b e e n  c o n c e r n e d  a b o u t  l a c k  o f  p r o g r e s s  i n  t h e  D D A  a n d  t h e  f a i l u r e  t o  d e l i v e r  o n  a  w o r k  
programme to complete it as we instructed at Bali. Indeed, we are now gravely concerned that 
after the promise of renewed effort to address all aspects of the DDA some Members are precipitously questioning the utility of the DDA an d are calling for the WTO “to turn the page on 
the DDA”.  If we heed this call, we would be delivering a mortal blow to the WTO’s commitment to 
the issue of development. Can we realistically send such a message to the international 
community? There is need for greater coherence in our approach to trade and development. On the one hand, we have agreed in the UN on SDGs and have even highlighted the role that trade 
can play as an implementation measure in Goal 17. On the other hand, we are calling for the end 
of DDA. While we recognize that there may be need for recalibration, this reality check cannot be hinged on the abandonment of the DDA. Rather, we should be uniting in a concerted effort to find 
ways to secure a successful outcome to the negotiating agenda to which this organization has 
committed itself for the better part of its existence.   We must not lose sight of the DDA’s original mandate- which is to “make positive efforts designed 
to ensure that developing countries secure a share in world trade that is commensurate with the 
needs of their economic development.” This commitment cannot be abandoned especially at a time when we have united in commitment to sustainable development goals as the overarching focus of 
the as international system. To this end, we must draw on all the positive elements of the DDA 
and the progress already achieved such as was demonstrated at Bali. Special and differential treatment must remain a fundamental pillar of the work of the WTO. It must be translated into 
tangible outcomes including less than full reciprocity and the provision of appropriate flexibilities 
for developing countries, such as Jamaic a, other CARICOM countries and SVEs.  
 As you know very well, the WTO has sought to address the acknowledged vulnerabilities of SVEs 
including to exogenous shocks.  The vulnerability of SVEs derives from a combination of factors WT/MIN(15)/ST/74 
 
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  including structural weaknesses, which characterize their economies. In many cases these are 
being exacerbated by climate change. Trade suppor t instruments can assist SVEs in building their 
resilience and in strengthening their capacity to absorb exogenous shocks. The DDA made valuable progress in advancing measures that can play a role in supporting SVEs in their efforts to use 
trade as an instrument for resilience building. These remain important to all SVEs.  In terms of the 
DDA we recognize that the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement which we agreed at Bali will contribute to efforts to use trade as an engine of growth and development, based on efficiency 
gains and ease of doing business which is a priority for our stakeholders.  Jamaica has now 
deposited its Instrument of Ratification to the WTO and will now join the growing number of 
Members that have done so.  
The stakes are high for the multilateral trading system. We need to take bold steps to secure the 
development agenda which we reposed in the DDA. All WTO Members, large medium and small must be able to benefit from global trade an d to achieve sustainable economic growth and 
development.  The WTO cannot be decoupled from the Global development agenda. It would be a 
tragedy if the disconnection of the WTO and its trade negotiating agenda from the universal push for sustainable development were to be the legacy of  Nairobi. My delegation is ready to work with 
others to ensure that this is prevented. We wish to seize the moment and make Nairobi and MC 10 
historic not just because of this special place we find ourselves – in Africa, or the time at which we are gathered, the 20
th year of our organization. Let it be known as the place in which we 
confronted the role of trade in advancing the goal  of sustainable development, especially for the 
weaker and more vulnerable among us. Let us here in this place of history and great struggle 
named after a giant of this continent, forge a new and lasting commitment to ensuring that the trade rules and programmes of the WTO foster su stainable economic growth and development for 
all.  
 
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 On behalf of the Caribbean Community, I wish to say that it is indeed a pleasure to be here in Nairobi, the first WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in the great continent of Africa.  We would 
like to thank and commend our hosts, the Govern ment and the people of Kenya, for their very 
warm hospitality and excellent arrangements for this Conference. The fact that the WTO is also celebrating its 20
th anniversary gives special meaning to our presence here this week. 
 
CARICOM has been a strong supporter of a rules-ba sed multilateral trading system. We joined the 
consensus to launch the Doha Work Programme, commonly known as the Doha Development 
Round. This Round promised that issues of particular concern to developing countries, including 
small and vulnerable economies and least developed countries, would be at the heart of our work and decisions.  
Our countries engaged fully in the Doha negotiations in Geneva and with the close involvement of 
our capitals. We emphasized the principles of special and differential treatment and less than full reciprocity. At the same time, we recognized that we would be required to undertake new 
commitments once agreement was reached.  In th is context, we are pleased that five of our 
Member States have already ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement, adopted at the Bali Ministerial Meeting. 
 
CARICOM continues to support the Doha Development Round. We regret that after 14 years of negotiations, we have not been able to reach an agreement which would have delivered the development dimension which brought us to the negotiating table. We recognize that it may be 
necessary to discuss, post Nairobi, appropriate ways in which we can address the issues in the 
Doha Agenda, in order to achieve successful outcomes. In this effort, it is vital that we preserve and secure the progress achieved over the past  years, particularly those contained in our 
Ministerial decisions and negotiating texts which re late to special and differential treatment, less 
than full reciprocity, special measures and flexibilities for small and vulnerable economies and least developed countries. 
 
2015 has been a good year so far for multilateralism. The decisions taken on Financing for Development, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and most recently, COP21, give us hope that the world community can collectively find solutions to pressing global issues.  CARICOM hopes WT/MIN(15)/ST/74 
 
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  that this meeting in Nairobi will take meaningful decisions which will signal that the multilateral 
trading system, embodied in the WTO, can do the same.   We hope, therefore, that we will be able to adopt, inter alia , decisions relating the G90 proposals 
on Special and Differential treatment provisions including those related to small, vulnerable 
economies and least developed countries; agricultural issues, including the Special Safeguard Mechanism, which was proposed by the G33 in November, 2015; Fisheries Subsidies; the Work 
Programme on Small Economies; and special measures for least developed countries. 
 Finally, CARICOM wishes to congratulate the Islami c Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of 
Liberia on their accession to the WTO. We wish to recall that one of our Member States continues 
to pursue its accession negotiations. We urge the WTO Members to recognize that as a small, 
vulnerable economy, it should not be called upon to make concessions beyond its level of development and vulnerability. 
 
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