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WT/GC/M/147  
 
15 October 2013  
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General Council 
9 September 2013    
 
MINUTES OF MEETING 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD ON 9 SEPTEMBER 2013 
Chairperson:  Mr  Shahid Bashir (Pakistan) 
Prior to the adoption of the agenda, the Chairm an, on behalf of the General Council, extended 
condolences for the demise of the former Director-G eneral of the WTO, Mr Renato Ruggiero, to the 
representative of Italy, and through him to his government and to Mr Ruggiero's family. The General Council observed a minute's si lence in memory of Mr Ruggiero.  
 
The representatives of the European Union and Costa Rica spoke. 
 At the end of the meeting, the Chairman and Members bade farewell to the outgoing Deputy 
Directors-General, Ms Valentine Rugabwiza, Mr Alejandro Jara, Mr Harsha Singh and Mr Rufus 
Yerxa, and thanked them for their outstanding contribution to the WTO and to the Multilateral Trading System. 
 
 1  STATEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL, MR ROBERTO AZEVÊDO 
1.1.  The Chairman welcomed the new Director-Gen eral, Mr Roberto Azevêdo, to the first meeting 
of the General Council after his assumption of offi ce on 1 September. The Chairman noted that he 
had enjoyed the support of all Members of the WTO and was elected with consensus.  
1.2.   The Chairman recalled that Director-Gener al Azevêdo had joined this Organization at a 
critical time with the 9th WTO Ministerial around the corner. He said that there were only 12 weeks 
left to Bali, and the Members had not a lot of time at their disposal to develop consensus on the outcome of the Ministerial. Mr Azevêdo had a de ep commitment to the multilateral trading system 
and was completely aware of the dynamics of negotiations at the multilateral level since the 
conclusion of the Uruguay Round as well as afte r the adoption of the Doha Development Agenda. 
He stressed that the Director-General was in the best possible position to work as a catalyst in producing the desired results for success at Bali and post-Bali endeavours next year.   
1.3.  The Chairman said he would focus on issues  in the purview of the General Council to ensure 
that they were ready to be included in the Bali package. He also said, on behalf of all Members, that everyone looked forward to working wi th the Director-General intensely and with 
commitment. 
1.4.  The Director-General, Mr Roberto Azevêdo, made a statement to the General Council. His 
statement was circulated as JOB/GC/56 and is reproduced in Annex I to the present records. 
1.5.  The representatives of Brazil; Dominican Republic (on behalf of the Informal Group of 
Developing Countries); Morocco (on behalf of the African Group); Peru (on behalf of GRULAC); 
Nepal (on behalf of the LDC Group); Japan; Kingdo m of Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Asian Group 
of Developing Members); Brunei Darussalam (on behalf of ASEAN); Indonesia (on behalf of G-33); 
Mozambique (on behalf of the CPLP); Jamaica (on be half of ACP); Barbados (on behalf of the SVEs 
Group); Chinese Taipei (on behalf of the RAMs Gr oup); Egypt (also on behalf of the Arab Group); 
Ukraine; Cuba; Zimbabwe (on behalf of the SADC Group); Russian Federation; Togo (on behalf of WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  UEMOA); Australia (on behalf of the CAIRNS Group); Montenegro; China; Mexico; United States; 
Argentina; New Zealand; Kenya; Oman; Republic of  Korea; India; Switzerland; European Union; 
Mauritius; Chile; Bolivia, Plurinational State of; Canada; Norway; Bangladesh; Sri Lanka; Ghana; Ecuador; Guinea; Costa Rica; Rwanda; Colombia; Côte d'Ivoire; Uganda; Uruguay; Guatemala; 
Pakistan; Cameroon; Venezuela; United Kingdom;  Algeria (as an Observer); Seychelles (as an 
Observer); Yemen (as an Observer); Bahamas (as an Observer); and, Kazakhstan (as an Observer) spoke.  Their statements are reprod uced in Annex II to the present records.  
1.6.  The General Council took note of the statements. 
_______________ 
  WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  ANNEX I 
STATEMENT BY ROBERTO AZEVÊDO, DIRECTOR GENERAL1 
 
Mr Chairman, Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Ma chado, Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil 
and long-time friend, Heads of Delegations, Amba ssadors, colleagues, members of the secretariat, 
friends.   
We meet today at a crucial moment.  
 I'm honoured to be speaking to you as your Dire ctor-General. As far as critical moments go, we 
have to figure out new ways of saying it. Beca use we've been saying critical moment, difficult 
juncture, on the brink, we have all those expre ssions that we have been using for a long time, 
every meeting that I go to, I try to figure out a different way of saying it, but at the end of the 
day, this is true. 
 
The world economy is in a very difficult moment, it is in flux.  
Many economies, particularly the developed econ omies are still struggling to recover from the 
effects of the financial crisis. While that happens, others continue to emerge, and they keep changing the way that we do things, the trade re lationships, and they are fundamentally shifting 
the landscape of the world economy.  The challenges of development are still huge. 
 
In these changing times, I believe that the role we  play here in the WTO is even more important.  
 
The multilateral trading system remains the best defence against protectionism and the strongest 
force for growth, recovery and development.  
Yet, as I take on this role, it is clear that the system is in trouble. Progress has stalled. 
 And I pledge that I will do all I can to rebuild trust and faith in this organisation and in the multilateral trading system. I will spare no efforts to restore our ability to deliver on that vital 
mission of supporting growth and development around the world.  
 But this is not something I can do alone. 
 
We have options for the path ahead: I can suggest the direction, but we must choose our path together. The strength of the Organization is found in you. It is you that hold the wheel of the 
ship. 
 I have also met with the Secretariat to deliver a similar message. A message that recognises the 
prominence of the human factor and the power of  teamwork. I assured them that I would work 
closely with them, including on various pressing issues of management. My work with them will 
not lose sight of the main objective which is to ensure that the WTO remains a centre of excellence, at the forefront of organisations servicing the international community. 
 
I will be an inclusive Director-General, working closely with everyone – from the Geneva representatives to ministers; from the secretariat to wider stakeholders, from the smallest to the 
largest delegations. 
 I will also have transparency as a fundamental yardstick in all areas of work, also in administrative matters. 
 
We must work together to fix and strengthen the system, and to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of the entire membership and of an evolving global economy. 
 
And if we are going to be successful, we must  be honest about the problems we face.  
 
Our negotiating arm is struggling.  
                                               
1 Also circulated in JOB/GC/56. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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We all know that this is just one part of the work that we do here. We all know that. But the WTO, as we know, has been defined by what we have be en doing in the negotiating front. This is how 
the world sees us. There is no escape in that. It doesn't matter how much we say, that we do 
more than negotiate, that we have a number of other things going on gear, which are extremely 
important to the world even though the world doesn't know it. But people see us as good as Doha. That is the reality.  
 
And the perception in the world is that we have forgotten how to negotiate. The perception is ineffectiveness. The perception is paralysis.   
Our failure to address this paralysis casts a shadow which goes well beyond the negotiating arm, 
and it covers every other part of our work.  
It is essential that we breathe new life into negotiations. We must send a clear and unequivocal 
message to the world that the WTO can deliver multilateral trade deals.   
That’s why success at the Bali Ministerial Conference is vital – this has to be our first priority. 
 Success in Bali would bring huge benefits, improving people’s lives, including for the poorest amongst us, and boosting trade at a critical moment for the global economy. 
 
I won’t rehearse the benefits here.   
But I will say this: while the benefits of success would be great, the consequences of failure would 
be even greater.  
It would strengthen current negative perceptions,  setting us back in all areas of our work.  
 Our ability to respond to the demands of an ever-c hanging world is under threat. The future of the 
multilateral trading system is at stake.  
 
And if the system is not working, then, in the en d, everybody loses. Those who lose most are the 
smallest and most vulnerable economies. We have a duty to deliver for them. 
 
The world will not wait for the WTO indefinitely. It will move on. And it will move on with choices 
that will not be as inclusive or efficient as the deals negotiated within these walls. 
 
This is the message I took to the G-20 leaders in St. Petersburg last week. Those leaders gave their strong backing to our efforts to reach a deal in Bali.   
I will be reaching out to other groupings in the period ahead and I will be asking for their support 
as well.  
Of course the WTO has other priorities too. 
 We must continue to strengthen the implementation and monitoring functions of the WTO to 
maintain vigilance against protectionism. This is one of the most important aspects of our work. 
 The dispute settlement mechanism is under hea vy demand. This is yet another sign of the 
importance of the WTO system in uncertain times. It is a key part of the system, so we must make 
sure that it works well and that it works for everyone, including for the poorest. 
 Aid for Trade and the Enhanced Integrated Framew ork must also be strengthened and improved. 
 
Let me assure you this: I understand the importance of all of the organisation’s key functions and I will not lose sight of any of them. But today we  must focus on the here and now. We must look 
towards delivering on our first priority: Bali. 
 Success in Bali will be a boost to everything we do, allowing us to make progress across the board. 
A successful 9th Ministerial Conference will give us  back the confidence that we are on the right 
track. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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But Bali is not the end of the road. Delivering on Doha has to be a part of any future agenda. We need to discuss some of the contentious issues that have divided us for so long. We must look with fresh eyes at possible options. 
 
I have ideas about how we can do this – but before we discuss the wider agenda we must restore trust among us and confidence that we can delive r agreements and build a viable path forward on 
Doha.  We need to start this now.  
 So how are we going to go about this?  
First, I am going to be transparent, open and incl usive.  This will be a key part of how we move 
forward.  
As we work towards Bali, I will be doing everything I can to ensure that all Members are involved 
and that all voices are heard.  
I recognise that Members are not equally affected by the different issues on the table. I will, of 
course, calibrate our efforts and consultations accordingly. But, whatever path we follow, I will want to hear from you. My door will always be open to you – and so will the doors of my entire team. 
 
As you know, I have already announced the appoin tment of my Deputy Directors-General. They 
are trade professionals. They are familiar to all of you. They will serve the membership and will 
help advance our shared aims. I am grateful that they have agreed to join us. 
 As I told you in my presentation to this General Council last January, I will be a hands-on DG. I 
will roll up my sleeves and I will be by your side  at the table. Between now and Bali, I will be away 
from Geneva only when strictly necessary. My full priority will be to ensure that we achieve a successfully negotiated outcome in our 9th Ministerial.  
Second, I want to set out a clear process to deliver success in Bali.  
 T i m e  i s  s h o r t .  O u r  w o r k  m u s t  s t a r t  h e r e  a n d  n o w .  T h a t ’ s  w h y  I  w i l l  b e  c o m m e n c i n g  i n t e n s i v e  
consultations with members immediately, starting this week. So be ready. 
 This will be in a variety of formats and configurations at Ambassadors' level. We will focus on the 
three key areas of trade facilitation, develo pment and some elements of agriculture.  
 My intention is to have a rolling set of meetings, giving the opportunity for everyone's voice to be heard across all these issues.  There will also be regular TNC meetings, which I will convene as 
necessary.  
 We need to bring the three Bali elements together  now. They must move simultaneously in our so-
called horizontal process. We need to tackle the difficult issues to identify, early in the process, 
where the possible trade-offs may lie. And we must constantly be reviewing progress.  
Many of the big issues that divide us are political . As time is limited I also want to start getting 
c a p i t a l s  m o r e  i n v o l v e d  i n  o r d e r  t o  o v e r c o m e  i m p a s s e s ,  t o  n a r r o w  g a p s  a n d  t o  m o v e  u s  c l o s e r  towards an agreement. Senior officials must be ready to come to Geneva at certain junctures over the next few weeks. 
 
Since I took office I have already had the opportunity to speak to a number of Leaders and Ministers both in St Petersburg and on the phone.  I will continue to reach out to others as well.  
 
The development component will be vital in this process, and I will be listening closely to the developing and to the least developed countries to make sure their interests are taken into 
account. 
 Indeed the process I will be running will be closely coordinated to the work in the negotiating groups.  I have already been consulting with relevant Chairs on how this can be done.   
 WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  I say again: time is short. There are just 84 days  until the Ministerial Conference. All aspects of 
this work must start to deliver results quickly.  Flexibility will be key. I know that as trade negoti ators we are always tempted to the last drop of 
blood.  That’s what we do. 
 But that cannot be the case here – we must all be ready to live with some compromises. We 
cannot lose sight of the bigger picture.  
 We should always remember the consequences of failure and it would set us back in all areas of our work, undermining the WTO, and compounding the sense that we can’t negotiate. 
 
Some capitals are already looking elsewhere towards other solutions which won’t be multilateral – second best solutions, which leave many of the big challenges unaddressed. 
 
That’s not in the interests of all of us here and it’s not in the interests of the world.  
We must be committed to deliver a deal before we get on the plane to Bali. 
 It is vital that we succeed.   
All of us need the WTO. 
 Ordinary people need it too even though they don't know it. 
 
Ultimately we should judge our performance on  the difference we make  to people’s lives.  
 
I believe that the multilateral trading system can be the preeminent force supporting growth and 
development in the world – lifting people out of poverty, improving living standards and helping to 
put the global economy back on track.  
We have a unique opportunity to restore the WTO to  its proper place at the heart of this system, 
and to realise the mission of this organisation.  
The intermission is over: it’s time the WTO was back at the centre of the world stage. 
 The stakes couldn’t be higher. We have to deliver.  
 
And, if we work together, I know that we will.    Thank you – I look forward to working with you all. 
 WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  ANNEX II 
STATEMENTS BY DELEGATIONS 
 
1. Brazil (H.E. Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, Minister of External Relations) 
 
Allow me first of all to express my great satisfaction to be here today at this very special meeting of this General Council. It is indeed with a sense of pride that I want to extend a warm welcome to 
Ambassador Azevêdo, our new Director-General. For Brazil, the decision to launch the candidacy of 
Roberto was a natural expression of our deep and unwavering commitment to multilateralism and in particular, to this Organization. Ambassador Azevêdo's qualities as a trustworthy, creative, impartial and skilful negotiator are known to all. The entire Membership recognizes this when it 
decided to impress him with the responsibility of leading the WTO at this critical juncture. I have 
full confidence that he will prove equal to the challenge. I wish him the best of luck and I want to assure him of Brazil's full support.  
 
The Doha Round has been at a stalemate since July 2008. However, much hard work was done in the past five years and it has not been in vain. As it is often said, the WTO is bigger than the Doha 
Round. It has proven its worth in preventing renegade protectionism during the most severe 
economic and financial crisis since the creation of the Multilateral Trading System. Besides its regular work and outreach activities, it has also achieved remarkable results in welcoming new Members and settling trade disputes apart from the day-to-day work at Committee Level. The 
Brazilian Government is convinced that the WTO is the most important and adequate forum for 
discussing and addressing trade matters at the global  level. However, the long-term vitality of the 
system depends on our ability to deliver negotiat ed outcomes and presently, to deal successfully 
with the Doha Round issues. A breakthrough in the negotiations of the Bali Package must be 
pursued as the most urgent task ahead of us. As a new Director-General starts off his term, we should not forget that the challenge of strengthening the Multilateral Trading System, the task of 
making the WTO work as it must, requires the earnest commitment of each and every Member of 
this Organization to its principles and objectives. This commitment must translate into concrete gestures at the negotiating table. If we are to su cceed in delivering a Bali Package, delegations will 
need to engage with frankness, creativity, and flex ibility. The path to Bali will not be easy but the 
route laid down today by the Director-General is fully supported by Brazil in terms of the 
negotiations in the next weeks and months, backed by political will. This should allow us to have a clear picture by mid-October hopefully, of what can be achieved in Bali. I therefore take this 
opportunity to urge all Members, regardless of th eir level of development, to live up to our 
common responsibilities as Members of this Organization.   
Mr. Chairman, as we make our way to the Ministerial Conference, we should not forget that Doha 
is about development. Development in turn is inextricably related to progress in addressing agricultural issues, a matter of utmost importance for the majority of Members and especially to developing countries and least developing countri es. This, together with meaningful results in 
trade facilitation, and in the pillar of development is sues is what is needed to achieve in robust and 
balanced Bali Package. We sure have a lot of work ahead of us. Today, however, we are here to celebrate. So, I wish to reiterate my congratulations to my Dear Friend Roberto, and to wish him 
all the best. As a Brazilian and as his colleague in the diplomatic career, I am confident that no one 
could be better qualified than he is to confront the task ahead of us. The beginning of your term 
here Roberto, is a loss for my country because for a period of time we will not be able to count on 
your service, your distinguished service as a Brazilian diplomat, but we accept that loss because it 
will represent a benefit to the global Multilateral Trading System.   To conclude, it gives me great honour to read a message to our new Director-General by the 
President of Brazil, Ms Dilma Rousseff:  
 
"I warmly congratulate Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo on his nomination to the post of 
Director-General of the WTO. I am fully confident that you have all the qualities 
required to help Members reinvigorate th e Organization towards a more just and 
prosperous world order at this critical time for the world economy. The regulatory 
framework and the dispute settlement mechan ism of the WTO represent institutional 
assets of enormous relevance for the international order. The maintenance of the operation and effective Multilateral Trading System is in the interest of all Members. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  The WTO should provide a renewed vigorous boost to world trade in the coming years 
in order to enable the world economy to enter into a new period of economic growth with social justice. The first step on this path would be the Ministerial Conference in Bali where success is crucial to the re-launching of Doha Negotiations and to the 
strengthening of the Organization. I wish you every success in this new vision. The 
challenge of putting negotiations back on track and reinvigorating the WTO is momentus. You can count on Brazil's strong commitment to the WTO and to 
Multilateralism as an essential instrument to promote prosperity and development for 
all nations. - Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil."  
 2. Dominican Republic (for the Info rmal Group of Developing Countries) 
 
On behalf of the Informal Group of Developing Countries I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Mr. Roberto Azevêdo on taking office as WTO Director General. Developing Countries 
are extremely pleased and honoured that this very  important position in the world stage is being 
occupied by a national from a developing country, in fact by someone who has participate actively in the meetings of our Group.  We are confiden t that Mr. Azevêdo's outstanding qualifications, 
technical expertise in the field of international trade, intimate knowledge of how the WTO works, 
as well as his, warm, open disposition make him uniquely well positioned to lead the organization in these troubled but interesting times.  
Mr. Azevêdo's first order of business is to steer the course towards a successful outcome in Bali.  
We are fully in agreement that the credibility of th e multilateral trade system hangs in the balance. 
As Mr. Azevêdo has rightly said there will be costs if we cannot achieve a successful outcome in 
Bali, and these costs will be in the form of region al challenges to the multilateralism. However, 
developing countries are of the firm conviction that, a Doha Round successful outcome is the only one capable to deliver trade and economic growth at  a multilateral level.  A successful conclusion 
of the Doha Round would also restore the balance in trade rules and strengthen the global 
partnership for development. This will provide a much needed boost to developing countries' efforts to reduce poverty when we are in the final years left to achieve the MDGs.  
As has been mentioned, Bali is critical for the future of the WTO but it is also important to 
remember that the WTO is much more than Bali, ot her areas of work should not be neglected. In 
these other areas, dispute settlement, accessions, monitoring and surveillance, technical 
assistance and capacity building, we are also conf ident that Mr. Azevêdo will use his solid talents 
to continue the hard work that was done by his predecessor to strengthen these important functions of the WTO. 
 
Mr. Chairman in Spanish we have common expression that is difficult to translate into English which captures in four words what I want to say now to Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, this is "ponerse a la orden".  This expresses a sense of unquestioning willingness to provide service which is what I 
want to offer now from our Group to our new Director-General.  
 3. Morocco (for the African Group)  
 
First, I am pleased to extend my sincere and warm congratulations to Mr Roberto Azevêdo, the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). As he begins his mandate, 
I would like to assure him once again of the African Group's full support for your work leading 
up to Bali and beyond.  I also extend my most heartfelt congratulations to your management team, Mr Director-General, 
and accordingly applaud and welcome the new Depu ty-Directors General Mr Yi Xiaozhun (China), 
Mr Karl-Ernst Brauner (Germany), Mr David Shark (United States) and my brother, Mr Yonov Frederick Agah (Nigeria). 
 
Mr Director-General, the African Group is delighte d to see you at the head of the WTO and would 
like to wish you the very best in fulfilling the important functions entrusted to you at this critical 
time for the interests of WTO Members and the WTO itself. 
 The African Group is pleased that, for the first time, the WTO will be led by a diplomat from a developing country and, in this case, from Latin America. This is a great source of satisfaction 
for developing countries in general, and African countries in particular. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  On behalf of the African Group, I would also like to point out that the consensus which presided 
over your appointment can bolster your new mission and provide the support needed to give momentum to the negotiations in anticipation of the Bali Conference. Your catalytic role and rallying power will be crucial in making sure that the three months remaining before Bali 
are put to good use, in order to ensure a successful Conference for the WTO and a good start 
for the Director-General.  
With this in mind, I would like to present, on this ceremonious occasion, the following priorities 
of the African Group:  
 The African Group remains fully committed to the multilateral trading system because 
it is the only system allowing everyone, regardless of size or power, to participate in 
the development of trade rules and to ensure their enforcement. This is why the African Group hopes that the WTO will develop an ambitious roadmap and live up to 
the challenges of world trade. 
 One of the new Director-General's lines of action should be to defend and promote 
the multilateral negotiating system, in order to halt the gradual marginalization of the 
WTO that has ensued from the proliferation of plurilateral agreements such as the 
proposed EU-US Transatlantic Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. 
 The Doha Development Agenda should remain at the heart of the WTO mandate. 
Mr Azevêdo's repeatedly stated commitment to the development dimension of the Doha Round 
should be reflected in his future  strategy as DG of the WTO. 
 
The first mission of the new DG of the WTO shou ld be to ensure the successful outcome of the 
Ministerial Conference in Bali, with a balanced and satisfactory package for all Member States. 
Now, three months from the next Ministerial Conference, we are evidently at a critical juncture 
and need to step up considerably the pace of negotiations in order to achieve a positive 
and meaningful outcome.  The African Group is committed to doing its utmost to ensure a balanced package 
in Bali on the three mandated areas: trad e facilitation, agriculture-related aspects 
and development/LDC issues. 
The African Group believes that the negotiating process should be able to operate more intensively 
and effectively, while at the same time ensuring, under the leadership of the Chairs of the 
negotiating groups, adherence to the principles of multilateralism, inclusiveness and transparency.  
Thought should be given to the post-Bali challenges facing the WTO, a process that needs to be 
both transparent and inclusive because the future  of the WTO is of interest to the entire 
Membership in these times of economic uncertainty. 
To conclude, I would like to express the Af rican Group's commitment to being a ready 
and determined partner to help you succeed in your mission, and to doing everything possible 
to enable the WTO to regain its strength, complete the Doha Round and, above all, achieve success in Bali. 
 
The African Group and other WTO Members have an obligation to succeed. The future of our Organization is at stake, and we all know that you have an ambitious plan for this future – a plan 
that we also share and strongly support. 
 4. Peru (for GRULAC)  
It is a great honour for the delegation of Peru and for me in particular as coordinator 
of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) to take the floor in this Special Session of the General Council and welcome our friend and colleague, 
Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo, the first Latin American to assume the responsibility 
of Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). His proven leadership and WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  distinguished professional career augur well for a prosperous term as head of the WTO. We are 
certain that the Ambassador will make a decisive contribution to achieving the objectives of strengthening the transparent, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system and keeping markets open, particularly in a gl obal economic environment that remains very 
complex. In this regard, Mr Azevêdo,  you may count on all of our support. 
GRULAC also takes this opportunity to welcome the appointment of 
Deputy Directors-General Yi Xiaozhun, Karl-Ernst Brauner, Yonov Frederick Agah and David Shark, 
who will begin service on 1 October 2013. 
The Latin American and Caribbean States, consisting of 33 countries, a population of 630 million 
and a geographic area of 23 million sq km, have experienced significant economic growth over the last decade and overcome the global recession thanks to their privileged supply of natural 
resources, energy, water, biodiversity and, generally speaking, their cautious macroeconomic 
policies. Yet, according to statistics, the share of Latin American and Caribbean States in world 
trade has only slightly increased since 1994, from 4.4% to 6%. 
With 82 million people living in poverty, our re gion faces many obstacles, not only in terms 
of improving its social indicators but also regarding infrastructure, training of human resources, research development and technological innovation. Another obstacle is agricultural protectionism 
in the more developed countries, which impedes the countries in our region from fully developing 
their comparative advantages. These are major challenges requiring real solutions, the key to which lies in the opportunities arising from international trade. As a Latin American, Ambassador Azevêdo is well aware of these challenges and our region's potential, and we are 
convinced that he shares our view on the importan ce of trade, and particularly the WTO, in our 
regional development agenda. Our aim will continue to be to promote greater market access for our exports and increase corporate competitiveness in order to stimulate growth in trade 
and employment and reduce poverty. 
The Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held in Bali, Indonesia, from 3 to 6 December 2013, 
is of the utmost priority and provides an opportunity to complete the on-going Doha Round 
negotiations on the three deliverables: trade facilitation, agriculture and development initiatives, 
involving the least developed countries in particular. You may rest assured, Mr Director-General, that GRULAC will make a determined effort to achieve in Bali a substantive and balanced outcome that addresses the interests and needs of all Members and pays particular attention to the 
development dimension, pursuant to the Doha mandate, with a view to infusing the WTO with 
a new dynamism in order to strengthen its credibility and legitimacy. Bali is not the end of the road. Rather, it is an important step that will lay the groundwork for a successful completion 
of the Doha Round and the establishment of a po st-Bali work programme. It is for these reasons 
that this important negotiating process leading up to Bali must maintain the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and full Membership engagement. 
We also believe that the WTO must continue to effectively perform its vital role in world economic 
governance. We support the efforts to strengthen the Organization, its institutional status and regular bodies, to enable it to fully exercise its functions including settling disputes, promoting the transparency, monitoring and surveillance of trade policies, capacity building and providing 
technical assistance for the developing countries, which will benefit WTO Members and the 
international community. In the current context, special attention should be paid in our region to the monitoring of trade to prevent protectionism; continuing the agricultural reform process 
pursuant to the Doha Round mandate, which will greatly contribute to the development of our 
region; the convening of a symposium, proposed by various countries in the region, to examine 
the increase in technology flows to developing economies; and the Aid-for-Trade initiative, 
which requires an enhanced mandate from the Organization. 
Mr Azevêdo, our esteemed and valued colleague, for the regional group that I have the honour 
to represent, this is an excellent opportunity to express our support for your work as Director-General beginning today. Your experience, commitment, and, above all, your talent, 
will undoubtedly help this Organization to move, without further delay, towards a more just 
and dynamic world economic order, and towards a multilateral trading system conducive to development and inclusion. 
 
 WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  5. Nepal (for the LDC Group)  
 The LDC Group congratulates, once again, Amba ssador Roberto Azevêdo, on his appointment as 
the Director General of the WTO. His consensus selection is recognition of his sound knowledge 
and vast experience in international economics and trade policy matters, as well as his strong 
commitment to multilateral trading system.   
While appreciating his deep commitment to reinvigorating the WTO with new vision, enthusiasm 
and conviction, the LDCs Group lends its support to the new Director General in fulfilling important responsibilities entrusted to him. We underscore his commitment to the principles of transparency 
a n d  i n c l u s i v e n e s s .  W e  h a v e  e v e r y  h o p e  t h a t  t h e  n e w  D G  w i l l  b e  a b l e  t o  i n j e c t  m u c h  n e e d e d  
dynamism into the WTO, further strengthening its standing as the custodian of the multilateral 
trading system and as an important pillar of global economic governance. As he takes up his duty, we extend him best wishes for the successful tenure of office. 
 
We thank the new Director General for outlining his vision and priorities. We also appreciate his frank assessment of the current situation of multilateral trading system represented by the WTO 
and the challenges it confronts that, in our view, often tend to limit its role and scope.  
 Talking in the context of MTS the role of the DG, as an honest broker, is crucial to revitalize consensus-building process to advance DDA. And, we all must support him in this process in the 
best interest of the multilateral trading system. For this, we need genuine political will, mutual 
trust and flexibility. Successful conclusion of DDA  will help reinforce the significance of the 
multilateral trading systems in today's dynami c world and help unleash more meaningful and 
inclusive trading opportunities for everyone. The importance of the conclusion of DDA for the 
poorer segment of the WTO membership cannot be overemphasized. The LDC group has consistently called for an early conclusion of DDA with ambitious, balanced and development-
friendly outcome, keeping uppermost the concerns and interests of the poor countries. This is 
essential to meaningfully integrate the LDCs into multilateral trading system, a commitment that underpins the WTO.  
The immediate priority before us is to make the 9th Ministerial meeting in Bali a success.  As the 
DG has rightly said that the cost of  failure will be colossal. The positi on of the LDCs is clear that we 
want a balanced package for Bali with priority given to the LDCs core issues. Given the negligible 
share of the LDCs in global trade and in view of their constant struggle to overcome the 
dehumanizing conditions of poverty and hunger, the Bali Ministerial must deliver concrete outcomes in favour of the LDCs. The LDCs issues are longstanding and are not beyond the reach of 
the WTO membership. While we have expressed our commitment to a balanced outcome, our 
issues should remain beyond the ambit of any tr ade-off. We believe that the new DG could be 
instrumental, with his vast experiences and proven  diplomatic skills, in building consensus to 
devise truly a balanced package and chart a post Bali roadmap to re-launching negotiations on 
DDA. 
 It has been our principled position that development issues must remain at the heart of all trade 
negotiations under the WTO. Trade should contribute to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable 
development. We are hopeful that the new DG will accord top priority to development issues and champion the cause of the poorer member states, in particular LDCs, in any multilateral trade 
initiative under the WTO.  
 The LDC group expects that, as before, supply-si de capacity building of the LDCs through the 
enhanced provision of AfT, EIF and TRTA, will re main as one of the priorities for the WTO under 
the leadership of the new Director General. We duly acknowledge the contribution made by the 
WTO over the years in this regard and call for scaling up targeted support measures. We also expect further simplification and streamlining of procedures for LDCs accession, which is a priority 
issue for our Group. 
 Finally, the LDC Group would like to congratulate newly appointed DDG namely Mr. Yi Xiaozhun of 
China, Mr. Karl Ernst Brauner of Germany, Mr Yonov Frederick Agah of Nigeria and David Shark of 
the United States. Similarly, we extend our wa rm congratulation to Mr. Tim Yeend, for his 
appointment to the post of Chef de Cabinet (principal advisor).   
We look forward to working clos ely with the new DG and his entire team in the days ahead. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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6. Japan   I’m pleased to start working with new DG, not only in preparation for the Bali Ministerial 
Conference, but also in tackling challenges that the multilateral trade system is facing.  
 I’d like to mention about three outstanding areas of our work. 
 
Firstly, bearing in mind the G20 Leaders Declaration adopted last Friday in St. Petersburg which decided to extend standstill commitment till th e end of 2016, I again mention the importance of 
the monitoring role of the WTO against protection ism. I felt encouraged by Roberto’s statement 
today and in the last General Council meeting in July, putting emphasis on the commitment to 
resist protectionism. Your words became particularly important once you left the post of Brazilian ambassador. 
 
Secondly, we should continue to promote Aid for Trade, particularly in the context further integration of developing countries to international trade through value chains. Through the 
experience of many Asian countries, it is proven that participation in the regional and global value 
chains does have significant implications for the economic growth and for development.   On these two points, it is our strong hope that the new Director-General will pay careful attention 
to the valuable results which his predecessor Pascal successfully accomplished. 
 Thirdly, regarding the preparation of MC9, the im portance of intensifying our effort in coming 
weeks for shaping a Bali package, can never be too emphasized. Having said that, as I stated in 
the last TNC meeting in July, we should not move our goal post in terms of timeline any more. Mid-October would be the very moment of truth wh en we should assess the progress of whether or 
not a concrete outcome can be delivered in MC9. 
 Before I conclude my statement, let me express my  deep gratitude to the significant contributions 
made by the four distinguished DDGs, Valentine, Alejandro, Harsha and Rufus. 
 
7. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (for the Asian Group of Developing Members)  
 
On behalf of the Asian Group of Developing Members, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would like to 
extend an especially warm welcome to our friend and colleague, Roberto Azevêdo, in his new role as Director-General of the WTO.  Together with our sincere congratulations on your appointment, 
we are offering our collective commitment to your success in facing the many challenges ahead, 
and to the renewal of this Organization under your leadership.  The emergence of Director-General Azevêdo from th e selection process is a testament to the trust 
and respect that he has established across the rang e of economies and geographies that constitute 
our Membership.  Mr. Azevêdo’s expertise and st rengths are well known and recognized by the 
Group of Asian Developing Members, and chief amon g them is his capacity to perceive, propose, 
prod and persuade: four P’s at the heart of the Director-General’s role. 
 The Director-General, his Deputies and the Secretariat staff alike have our warmest regards, our 
heartiest congratulations, and our highest hopes.  The Asian Group of Developing Members has 
been privileged to work alongside you all over the years, and our collaboration gives us every confidence in your ability to meet the challenges facing our Organization.    
 
Although much attention is rightly accorded to  the state of the Doha Development Agenda, we 
believe that the negotiating function should  not overshadow the core strengths of the 
Organization, including its excellent staff, its Committee work, its Trade Policy Reviews, and the 
other functions that add such value to the world trading system. 
 Of course, the DDA will benefit from Director-Gen eral Azevêdo’s skill and leadership.  During the 
selection process, the Asian Group of Developing  Members was heartened to note Mr. Azevêdo’s 
commitment to a comprehensive multilateral agreement.  Our Group has consistently argued that while standalone regional trade negotiations sometimes appear simple , the complex problems 
before us do not lend themselves to simple solutions, and the diversity of issues we face well as 
the range of Members’ interests can only be addressed in a single, global undertaking.  WT/GC/M/147 
 
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We have no doubt that Director-General Azevêd o and his Deputies’ experience and perseverance 
will advance the DDA as well as the work plan for the WTO as we prepare for the Bali Ministerial.  
Obviously, a successful Ministerial Conference and progress in the DDA will restore confidence in 
the multilateral trading system .  At the same time, at a global level, the progress we make will 
enhance international economic predictability and stability.  At a local level, this translates into improved living conditions for our families and our communities.  In pursuing this outcome, the 
Asian Group of Developing Members, will work tirelessly and creatively with other Members, 
groupings and, of course, with our new Director-G eneral, toward a balanced consensus.   We are 
of the view that outcome in Bali should be balanced and development issues need to receive topmost priority.    
 
I would also like to recognize the critical importan ce of the implementation pillar.  We believe that 
the recent practice of allocating the largest single share of WTO resources to designing, 
implementing and monitoring trade capacity-building should continue.  Whether through Aid for 
Trade, Trade-related Technical Assistance, the Enhanced Integrated Framework, the Standards and Trade Development Facility, or the trade facilitation needs assessments, trade and 
development must remain at the heart of the Organization’s mission. 
 Before concluding, let me say a few words on beha lf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I would like 
to warmly welcome Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo, the new Director-General and his high quality 
team composed of his Deputies Yi Xiaozhun, Karl -Ernst Brauner, Yonov Agah and David Shark, and 
his Chef de Cabinet Tim Yeend. As you know, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia values loyalty, dedication, and commitment to shared goals.  Th ere is no doubt that Director-General Azevêdo 
exemplifies these qualities, and that his leadership will bring us closer to attaining the objectives 
that we have set before ourselves.   Let us se ize on the appointment of Mr. Azevêdo and his high 
quality team as an opportunity to rededicate ou rselves to the WTO, and to renew its promise of 
economic development for all.   
 Mr. Azevêdo, you can count on the Asian Group of Developing Members to work with you in solidarity with the Membership to advance our collective interests under the WTO framework. 
 
We wish you, your Deputies and your staff the very best.    
8. Brunei Darussalam (for ASEAN)  
 On behalf of ASEAN, we would like to thank you for convening this Special Meeting of the General 
Council. We jointly express our heartfelt congratu lations to His Excellency Mr. Roberto Azevêdo 
once again for his appointment as the new Director-General of the WTO.   As we have stated in the past, ASEAN trusts that the new DG will be able to bring fresh energy 
into this House and facilitate members’ efforts at delivering a successful Ninth Ministerial 
Conference in Bali. It goes without saying that there is high expectation that Director-General Azevêdo will continue to strengthen the multilateral trading system and make it responsive to the 
needs of the entire Membership. This is particularly so in getting Members to achieve consensus 
and narrow the gaps in the negotiations. When DG Azevêdo took office last week, he stated, “the choices members make in the upcoming months ahead of Bali determines the path as we set out 
together to strengthen the system”.  
 We further urge Mr. Azevêdo to be a model Director-General and continue with the FIT principles of ‘full participation, inclusiveness and transparency’ for the benefit of all members.  ASEAN 
pledges to work hard with the DG in restoring the WTO to the role and pre-eminence it deserves.  
With this, ASEAN wishes Mr. Azevêdo the best of  luck and success and looks forward to working 
closely with him during his tenure. 
 
9. Indonesia (for the G-33)   
Please allow me to extend my warmest welcome to Mr. Roberto Azevêdo for commencing his office 
as new Director General of  the WTO. We hold the strong belief that your experience and wisdom is very needed to steer the organization in this critical juncture.   WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  As others have mentioned, time is indeed pressi ng harder and harder every  day as we approach 
Bali. That is why we need to intensify our work to find convergence in earnest way if we are to deliver at MC9.  
The G-33 looks forward to working with you to ensu re success of the Bali Ministerial Conference  
as well as on post-Bali efforts to safeguard the interest of developing countries and LDCs on agriculture as well as on  the primary role of WTO in the reform of multilateral trading system. 
 
Now, please allow me to put on my other ha t as the Head of Delegation of Indonesia. 
 On behalf of my government, I would like to congratulate you Ambassador Azevêdo as the new DG 
of the WTO. I understand that this will not be an easy task in particular to pull all of your efforts to 
ensure the success of the MC-9 as the first challenge in your work. Indonesia has a strong belief and hope that your valuable experiences and cont ributions, which we have already witnessed, will 
be one of the most significant roles to the success of MC-9 in particular. 
 Indonesia firmly supports your leadership and assures you of our full cooperation. As Indonesia 
reiterates its commitment to the multilateral trad ing system, it is our high hope that the MC-9 
would be a success, which will mark as a steppi ng stone towards the completion of the DDA as 
well as return the credibility of the WTO. We  can’t afford to make MTS just an utopia. 
 
10. Mozambique (for the CPLP)  
 I am honoured and extremely pleased to addre ss this Council on behalf of the Portuguese-
Speaking Countries, CPLP, on the occasion of the inaugural statement of the new WTO Director-
General, Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo. Let me, Mr. Chairman, at the outset, recognize with warm welcome the presence of the Minister of External Relations of Brazil in this room. We thank the 
government of Brazil, an important member of  the CPLP, for the excellent candidature of 
Ambassador Azevêdo for the post of Director-General of WTO. We have no doubt that the decision will benefit the entire trading system.   
Mr. Director-General, I have previously had the opportunity to take the floor to express CPLP's 
appreciation for your appointment and to highlight your outstanding qualities for the post. In this connection, I wish to recall the statement issued by the Executive Secretariat of the CPLP during 
your campaign,  
 
"Azevêdo's candidacy expresses a vision representative of all geographical regions of 
the world, and the countries at different levels of development ." 
 We are glad to realize that your outstanding victory and your unanimous election confront this assessment. It was indeed a victory of the entire WTO Membership. We followed with keen interest 
your brilliant and very profound presentation this morning outlining the priorities of your mandate. 
We are happy to notice that you reflect the main tenets of your vision as expounded during your campaign. It also confirms that your appointment symbolizes a search for a new approach to 
trade-related issues within the WTO.  
 History teaches us that in times of uncertainty an d turbulence, pragmatic leadership prevails. You, 
Ambassador Azevêdo, are credited as a diplomat who understands the institution from the inside; 
and, have the kind of knowledge that one needs to realistically generate innovative ideas about 
overcoming stalemates in negotiations. As an invested and hard-working  person, involved and 
passionate, a man of vision and conviction, you have, we believe, tools to help finding solutions to 
push forward the trade agenda that lies ahead of us  that further strengthens WTO's position in the 
world economic governance in a moment when it is most needed.   
At this critical juncture, in WTO's history, CPLP shares the DG's call for the need of delivering 
substantive and balanced outcomes in the negotiation front, which will further boost WTO's credibility as a primary trade negotiation forum. We therefore agree with you that ensuring a 
successful Bali Ministerial Meeting is essential. CPLP believes that development remains a major 
goal of the global trade agenda. Member States must be willing enough in the few months left up to the MC9 to address the remaining issues and fina lize the Bali Package. CPLP is confident that 
under the Director-General's inspiration and leadership, the WTO will address the main 
opportunities and challenges facing today's Multilateral Trading System and find a way to WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  successfully negotiate across the increasingly over lapping and intersecting economic interest and 
regional partnership that define the geography of today's global economy.   On past achievements and successes, we consider of great importance the adoption of additional 
measures and at further strengthening the profes sionalism and good governance inside the WTO 
itself. And here, I wish to congratulate the Dire ctor-General for having succeeded in assembling a 
superb team of forward-looking diplomats and expe rts to assist him both as DDG's and as Senior 
Advisers in the Cabinet: Yi Xiaozhun of China, Karl-Ernst Brauner of Germany, Yonov Frederick 
Agah of Nigeria and David Shark of the United States of America, are diplomats of unquestionable background and competence and of remarkable commitment to the Multilateral Trading System. 
They are credited with wide-ranging experience on WTO matters. CPLP whole-heartedly expresses 
its warm congratulations to them upon their election and underlines its strong belief that they will 
be instrumental in helping to advance the interest of the Organization.   
I finalize my intervention by wishing you, Roberto, on behalf of the CPLP and all its Member-
States, best successes in your future endeavours as WTO's DG. We shall be here and around to 
cooperate fully with you and your  team, and give you and your team every support that we can. 
 
11. Jamaica (for the ACP Group)   I am honoured, on behalf of the ACP Group, to welcome Director General Roberto Azevêdo to the 
helm of the WTO Secretariat as Director General.   In assuming this post, Ambassador Azevêdo has 
been placed at the centre (some would say epicenter) of global trade and the MTS.  For, despite all the challenges that this organization faces, no on e questions its indispensable role as the guardian 
of the rules based Multilateral Trade System. It is for this reason that the selection of a Director 
General is undertaken with such rigour and only after the most intense assessment of the competences of the candidates.  
 
We know that this time round, our Director General  was selected from a field of 9 eminent candidates and as you, Mr Chairman stated in de livering the results of your confessionals, our 
Director General was the candidate who consistently commanded the highest degree of support, 
spread across all groups and regions.  This augers well for DG Azevêdo as he begins the 
unenviable task of helping members find the form ula for a successful outcome in Bali, and more 
broadly, ensuring that the WTO remains capable of executing its crucial role in securing the rules 
based MTS in very difficult circumstances. 
 The ACP Group considers the stability and the stre ngthening of the rules based system, guided by 
a fair, transparent, inclusive and effective WTO,  to be vitally important in global economic 
governance. Without rules, the weak will be rend ered weaker and the strong even stronger.  DG 
Azevêdo can therefore rely on the strong support of the ACP group in any search for solutions to 
address challenges in all pillars of the work of the WTO, beginning with the Bali agenda.  
 
We know that DG Azevêdo needs no on the job training. Roberto, you know this house very well, just a few weeks ago you took the floor not just as a distinguished Permanent Representative for 
your country, but as one whose contribution to the work of the WTO has been outstanding and of 
immense value to your country and to the system . Indeed, we have been able to measure your 
deep knowledge of global trade and the MTS, your strategic vision, your acumen and your diverse 
capacities up close - your selection is a reflection of that measurement.  
 We count on you to bring all these formidable sk ills and experience to bear on the work ahead, 
failure is not an option! It is clear that you recognize this too, and have reinforced your office with 
an excellent team of DDGs and Chief of Staff wh ose credentials are a formidable complement to 
your own. We know our colleagues Ambassador Fred Agah, Ambassador Xiaozhun Yi, Ambassador Tim Yend and Mr. David Shark well. They understand this house and its challenges very well, as 
does Dr. Brauner, who also shares a deep understanding of the WTO and its challenges. All, in 
their various national capacities, have demonstrated their commitment to the Organisation and the strengthening of the rules based system and we know that they will carry this into their new roles. 
 
Mr. Chairman, we count on DG Azevêdo and his fo rmidable team, working together with the whole 
secretariat, to help us finish the unfinished busi ness of the House, and shape an agenda for future 
work of the WTO in which trade and development are better linked for the benefit of all, especially 
the most vulnerable. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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12. Barbados (for the SVEs Group)   On behalf of Small, Vulnerable Economies proponents, I wish to welcome the new Director-
General, Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, in the WTO, in his new capacity as the leader of this Organization. 
We know from his past contributions to the WTO negotiations that he is very familiar with the issues and will therefore need no briefing and that he will bring his usual thoughtful and 
professional approach to the job. Developing coun tries are particularly pleased to have one of its 
Members hold this important post. In this regard, we support the comments made by the Informal Group of Developing Countries and by GRULAC.   
We are indeed at a critical point in the life of the WTO as a strategy adopted by the WTO over the 
next couple of years will therefore be very important in trying to chart a future path for the Organization. Small, Vulnerable Economies have a ve sted interest in Multilateral Agreements. Most 
do not have the bargaining power which can often be critical to successful negotiations in bilateral 
and plurilateral arrangements. SVEs are therefore committed to the Multilateral Process and to 
ensuring vibrant WTO which can shift the balance of  interest firmly back to multilateralism as a 
preferred approach to trade negotiations.  
 With respect to the Bali Ministerial, SVEs are aware that Bali will be significant for its demonstration of the ability of the WTO to reach agreements on areas important to its Members 
albeit in a limited way. In addition, SVEs place much value on ensuring that the development 
aspect of negotiations is preserved and that Bali gives assurance to Small, Vulnerable Developing Economies that their interest are being taken into account.  
 
Mr. Chairman, over the past few years, there has been dramatic shifts on the relevant outlook of many economies at the global level. There was every evidence that these fluctuations would 
continue, sometimes in unanticipated ways. WTO may therefore need to accelerate its response 
time and we as Members may need to re-evaluate our approaches to problem-solving if the Organization is to realize its goals as the pre-eminent trade Organization of this era.   
SVEs again welcome the appointment of Director-G eneral Azevêdo and his highly competent team 
and have every confidence in his ability to lead this Organization with distinction. SVEs look forward to continued commitment to development issues and pledge their support to our new 
Director-General and look forward to the continued support of our efforts to integrate ourselves 
into the Multilateral Trading System.   
13. Chinese Taipei (for the RAMs Group)  
 On behalf of the RAMs Group, I would first like to express that we welcome and appreciate the new Director General’s statement today. 
 
As the coordinator of the RAMs Group, I would like to reiterate the RAMs their continuing readiness 
to enter into constructive engagement with the new DG over the coming years. 
 
The RAMs Group would also like to welcome the four new DDG, Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, Mr. Karl-Ernst Brauner, Mr. AgahYonov and Mr. David Shark, as well as the new Chef de Cabinet, Mr. Tim Yeend. 
We trust that their collective and abundant wealth of experience will serve to further the success 
of the WTO under the new DG’s leadership.  One of the factors that this Group finds most heartening in Mr. Azevêdo’s statement is his 
determination to promote and reenergize a compre hensive multilateral agreement. As the RAMs 
Group has indicated previously, although “negotia ting” may not be the only function of the WTO 
multilateral trading system, it is certainly a key benchmark by which the outside world will judge 
the importance and success of the system and this organization. Therefore, Members must 
demonstrate to the world that the system can work well, particularly in formulating the fundamental rules for global trade.  
 
It goes without saying that this Group attaches great importance to other key functions of the WTO as well, including advancing and implementi ng the objectives of the WTO Agreements, the 
DSU and the TPR mechanisms, the greater coherence with other international organizations in 
global economic policy-making, and promotion of  the Development agenda, which has long been a WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  core task of this organization. We certainly have  high hopes that, under the leadership of the new 
Director General and the services of his capable te am and the Secretariat, together with the active 
engagement of Members, the objectives of the mu ltilateral trading system embodied in the WTO 
will be realized and the benefits of global trade enjoyed by all. 
 
Having said that, we must not forget the immediate and urgent challenge in front of us right now - how to craft a meaningful outcome at the upcoming  MC9. Without a successful MC9, the credibility 
of the WTO will come under further negative questi oning, which is definitely something this Group 
does not want to see.  The MC9 is only 12 weeks away from today. Th e RAMs Group urges Members to accelerate the 
pace of the negotiations and to demonstrate the flexibility needed if a meaningful and credible 
package is to be concluded in Bali.    
One of the key elements mandated by our Ministers at the MC8 was for negotiations to be 
completed as a single undertaking. In this respec t, the Group trusts in the wisdom of the new 
Director General to facilitate the work that has to be done.  
 
Finally, the RAMs Group stands ready to actively  engage with the new DG and fellow-Members to 
bring the work to a successful and balanced conclusion.    
14. Egypt (also for the Arab Group)  
 Mr. Director-General, on behalf of the Arab Group, I would like to congratulate you on your 
appointment as the Director-General of the WTO and also the vision you presented this morning 
on your statement. The Arab Group is confident that your deep and diverse experience will ensure a proper and smooth functioning of the Organizati on including the major task of addressing the 
unfinished business related to the Doha Round. Mr. Azevêdo, you assume your responsibilities as 
the Director-General of the WTO while a series of financial economic crisis still affects the world economy coupled with the proliferation of protectionist measures, a situation that threatens to undermine the very basic principles of the current  Multilateral Trading System. Nevertheless, the 
Arab Group is confident that you can promptly address these challenges to avoid undesirable 
consequences.   
The WTO was founded to play three main roles: administering the current Multilateral Trading 
Agreements; settling disputes that may arise in the course of implementation; and, negotiating new Multilateral Trading Agreements. In this regard, it is important to make sure that the first two 
goals are not to be overshadowed by the third one.  Mr. Director-General, the revitalization of the 
negotiating mechanism of the WTO is one of the most difficult tasks you have to address. The Arab Group considers that the Doha Development Agenda to be the starting point towards accomplishing this task. The Group wishes that your efforts help in concluding the Doha 
Development Agenda as soon as possible and that the outcome of the upcoming Ministerial in Bali 
reflects the importance of streamlining development in the architecture of the WTO.   
Before concluding, a few words in my national capacity. Mr. Director-General, Egypt has listened 
carefully to your statement and very enthusiastic on your vision for the way forward of this Organization. Egypt acknowledges the importance of achieving a successful Bali part of which the 
development component needs to be present and taking into consideration the greater goal of 
completing the Doha Round. Lastly, we wish you and your competent team success and best of luck.   
15. Ukraine  
 First of all, I would like to wish Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and his team every success and 
reiterate our full support to their efforts aimed at strengthening the WTO. 
 It is a great pleasure to be back in a circle of like-minded international trade negotiators and have 
an opportunity to share a few thoughts on the DG's statement which duly stresses the need to 
reach a comprehensive multilateral agreement.  Ukraine is ready to work closely with each WTO member towards addressing the challenges the 
organization faces. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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I am absolutely confident that, despite the unfavorab le strains of recent years, our core tasks are 
markets access facilitation and enforcement of the global trade rules.  
An essential role of the WTO and the multilateral tr ading system, as it is seen by Ukraine, lies in 
reduction of trade barriers.  
Considering possible ways to break the Doha deadlock, our primary purpose should be taken into 
account. That is to adjust the trading system for the benefit of all WTO members.  In these challenging times free and open trade should foster sustainable development, promote 
economic growth and jobs creation. 
 The optimal foreign trade policy would be the one that assists economic reforms and reduces the 
obstacles to the goods and services movement. This allows for establishing and developing the 
global value chains of today's manufacturing.   
Condemning rising protectionism helps us only to a small extent to react to economic and trade 
challenges of today's world. Enhancement of rules governing global trade is in fact the best alternative to counter protectionism and to address any violations of the multilateral trading system. 
 
The main question that we face at this point is: what is the next step to overcome our negotiating difficulties? We identified important areas of th e Doha Round where agreement could be reached.  
 
Our first short term priority is finding common ground and bringing tangible outcomes during the Ninth Ministerial Conference in Bali which is possible only through forward-looking dialogue. As it 
has been mentioned earlier, the WTO's credibility depends on our capacity to deliver a global deal. 
I think this is a very moment for us to show a constructive spirit and a positive engagement within the framework of the organization.  
Let me conclude by reaffirming Ukraine's readiness to contribute at the maximum possible extent 
to the development of multilateral trading system  facilitating the sustainable global economic 
growth.  
 
16. Cuba   
Cuba endorses the statements by the Informal Group of the Developing Countries, GRULAC, the 
G-33, the Group of Small and Vulner able Economies and the ACP Group. 
 Let me congratulate you once again. We are particularly proud that for the first time, this 
Organization is led by a representative of Latin America, and specifically Brazil, a country with 
which we maintain close ties of friendship. The challenges facing the Director General today are greater than those faced by any Director General since 1995. Nevertheless, Cuba is confident that 
under your leadership we will set out to eliminate the factors that have contributed to the current 
deadlock.  
We would also like to congratulate the team of Deputy Directors General that have been 
appointed. They are also professionals with a vast  experience in trade issues, and we hope that 
they will apply that experience wisely and impart ially to achieve progress in all areas within the 
competence of this Organization, and for all Members. 
 
To move forward on the basis of our pending nego tiating mandates with a view to delivering on 
the Doha Development Agenda is a priority. We a ll know that the Doha Round is bogged down by 
a lack of political will on the part of certain Members to advance on certain priority issues for the 
developing world. Unfortunately, efforts have thus  far focused on a few areas, in response to the 
interests of a few. Any outcome will therefore ha ve to involve a commitment to move forward on 
the overall Doha package and unblock other areas of negotiation. 
 On behalf of my Government and the people of Cuba, let me make it clear that we firmly support your leadership and are fully prepared to make a positive contribution to the future work of the WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  WTO which, we repeat, must be directed towa rds the promotion and achievement of a fair, 
equitable, non-discriminatory and development oriented multilateral trading system.  17. Zimbabwe (for SADC) 
 
I have the honour to read this statement on behalf of the SADC Group of countries. Firstly, the SADC Group of countries would like to associate itself with the statement made by Morocco on 
behalf of the Africa Group. The SADC Group of Countries wishes to convey its heartfelt 
congratulations to Ambassador Roberto Azev ėdo on his inauguration as the Director-General of 
W T O .   M r  D i r e c t o r - G e n e r a l ,  w e  w a r m l y  w e l c o m e  y o u  a n d  y o u r  t e a m  t o  t h e  h e l m  o f  t h i s  v e r y  important organisation and we commend you for the vision that you have just presented.  We are 
indeed very confident that  your well known technical expertise on trade matters as well as your 
wealth of experience as a leader and negotiator, will  be invaluable assets in your leadership of the 
Organisation.  We are particularly confident and hopeful that your deep knowledge and passion for 
development will enable us to take the Doha Development Round to its logical conclusion. 
 Mr Director-General, you are taking office at a very  critical moment in the history of the WTO.  The 
Doha Development Round negotiations have been stalemated for many years now.  The Ninth 
Ministerial Conference to be held in Bali is just round the corner and yet a meaningful Bali package remains to be concretised.  We are hopeful that you and your team will add some energy to the pace of current negotiations so as to impart a fresh impetus into the Doha Development Round 
and ensure that the WTO remains a vital multilateral organisation for the promotion of free and 
fair trade.  
Let me assure you, Mr Director-General, of the commitment and readiness of the SADC Group of 
Countries to work closely with you and your team during your term of office to ensure that the noble objectives of our Organisation are realised.  We wish you and your team a fruitful and 
enjoyable term of office. 
 18. Russian Federation  
On behalf of the Russian Delegation I would like to express our warmest congratulations to 
Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo on his appointment as Director-General. He is widely known as a highly experienced professional wi th outstanding diplomatic merits and mediatory skills devoted to 
core principles of multilateralism in trade. From the very beginning Russia supported a consensus 
among WTO members in favour of his appointment. We put a great deal of trust in his efforts of the Director-General on facilitating the process of  multilateral negotiations and his support of WTO 
members in delivering results.  
 Mr. Director-General, your term begins at a critical moment for the global economy and multilateral trading system when fresh ideas an d approaches are highly demanded in view of 
recent trends in international trade in order to provide its further sustainable development.  
 While facing new global challenges there is a strong will in the international community for 
cooperation and you, Mr. Director-General, have witnessed that by yourself last week at the G-20 
summit in Saint-Petersburg. Consolidated collaboration should be applied to all aspects of global economy and team play in the WTO. Russian Delegation expresses its willingness to work 
constructively and to make every effort in bringing meaningful outcome at the Ministerial 
conference in Bali.  19. Togo (for the Members of UEMOA) 
 
My statement is being made on behalf of the Memb ers of the UEMOA, that is Benin, Burkina Faso, 
Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Sene gal, and Togo. Mr. Chairm an, the delegations of 
the UEMOA Members would like to congratulate you, Roberto Azevêdo, for your appointment as 
Director-General, and welcome him in his new f unction. Our delegation highly appreciates the 
contribution brought to the WTO by Mr. Azevêdo and this for some fifteen years now. And we 
would like to highlight his high qualities as a ne gotiator and consensus builder. The delegation of 
the UEMOA also pays tribute to the commitment shown by Mr. Azevêdo when taking up the leadership of the WTO negotiations. We wish, on behalf of the UEMOA Members, to tell the new Director-General of the WTO that we are fully committed as an entire group and I am sure that we 
will cooperate with him in reviewing the different issues on the agenda of the Ninth Ministerial WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  Conference of the WTO so as to ensure that Bali is a stepping stone and a successful one so as to 
ensure that countries should not arbour the Doha Round.   Mr. Chairman, UEMOA is a dynamic space for economic activities for more than a hundred million 
inhabitants and consumers. This area which is equipped with a monetary policy and a common 
currency is now building a common market which will be competitive and open. The UEMOA has since 1996 had carried out important reforms which have led to the setting up of a Customs Union 
as of the first of January 2000. The UEMOA Market, which has been thus set up, is equipped with a 
common trading policy and a competition policy and VAT regime and a reasonable program for fiscal transition so as to ensure development of initiative. The Member States of the UEMOA have 
undertaken reforms in the area of sectoral policy coordination and all the work here touch upon 
the different areas and sectors in which the WTO is actually active and in the other institutions 
represented in Geneva. The joint concerns are Agriculture including cotton and textile industries, infrastructure, transport and communication infrastructures, and other sectors and sub-sectors for 
services such as energy, banking, insurance, mi ning resources, etc.; Trade facilitation with the 
stress put on regional integration and the standard rules and regulations, the promotion and competitiveness of business and including private-public partnership. The UEMOA Members wish to 
continue benefiting from the support of the WTO and the support of other partner institutions as 
well as to ensure the support of their Members so as to meet the objectives. We are convinced that the Director-General of the WTO, Mr. Azevêdo will of course give his clear support both nationally and regionally so as to enhance mobilization of the technical and financial service 
assistance so as to carry out activities, projects, and programs within the UEMOA area. We also 
hope that the Director-General will, with all the qualities, continue facilitating the cotton issue and to ensure by the conclusion of the negotiations on different issues which are absolutely central for 
LDCs.  
 And finally Mr. Chairman, the Members of the UEMO A wish full success to Mr. Azevêdo in his new 
function as well as full success to his team. 
 20. Australia (for the CAIRNS Group)  
Allow me to join others in welcoming the Director-General to this Organization in your new 
capacity and to say that we look forward to working closer with you and your new team, especially as we work to try and find a new solution and a good outcome and the lead up to Bali. We 
certainly support your intention to establish immediately a program of intensive consultations 
aimed at pressing Members to move ahead and we  will attempt to help you as much as we 
possibly can.  
 
I would like to register in particular a few points from the CAIRNS Group. These points won't surprise you, I'm sure. We in the CAIRNS Group,  of course, express our continued support for the 
Agriculture Chair. There is limited time to deal wi th all of the agriculture issues that need to be 
finalized as part of a package for Bali and those agriculture issues include TRQ Administration, 
Food Security, and Export Competition. We will work on all of these issues as well as other Non-Agricultural issues in the Bali Package must intensify over the coming weeks. And, we look forward 
to working with you to achieve that.  
 O n  t h e  G - 3 3  P r o p o s a l ,  t i m e  i s  c l e a r l y  o f  t h e  e s s e n c e  n o w .  W e  c o n t i n u e  t o  b e l i e v e  t h a t  i t  i s  
important for this Organization to make contribution on the Food Security issue this year. We need 
to move beyond conceptual issues to identify and design what Members are prepared to do and to bring greater clarity around what is actually workable. Critical decisions on the overall direction will be required on the next few weeks because negotiating a final outcome will always take more time 
than we estimate.  
 On TRQ Administration, the CAIRNS Group also wishes to say the G-20 Proposal on the TRQ 
Administration finalized as part of the Bali Packag e. On Export Competition, and this is important 
for the CAIRNS Group in particular, we have always said that export subsidies are the most trade distorting forms and they have of course been illegal for industrial goods for a very long time. It is 
important that the credibility of the WTO's negotiating function, that the question of export 
subsidies is addressed at Bali, in a way which reaffirms and does not detract from previous Ministerial Commitments to fully eliminate export subsidies. It is the expectation of the CAIRNS Group that the Organization should take some form of action on export competition this year. We 
see the G-20 contribution as a useful frame of reference as we intensify our work and this should WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  be the starting point for our discussion. We encourage the Agriculture Chair to make sure that 
export competition is given appropriate attention in the intensified process and again we would ask that other WTO Members, including those who have expressed concerns, to approach this important issue in a constructive manner we have witnessed them take in other proposals in 
recent times.  
 Again, welcome Mr. Director-General and we look  forward to working with you over the coming 
months.  
 21. Montenegro  
I had the honour to pass to the Director-General, Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, the message of 
congratulations and strong support from the Government of Montenegro. Montenegro welcomes your Programme and the leadership team announced today by the Director-General of WTO. We 
are hopeful that WTO as an Organization and every Member individual will be energized to 
contribute to the fresh, credible approach to the governance of global trade presented in the 
opening remarks of Director-General Azevêdo.  
 
The global economic dimension has the most immediate and important consequence in the development of international trade system. This economic dimension integrates markets with the speed never imagined and makes possible the circulation of goods and services in a global scale 
with technological advances that serve at traditional national borders. Trade supported by the 
Multilateral Trading System has remained a powerful force of transformation, growth, and development, despite all the challenges and differe nces of economic development of the Members.  
 
We recognize that this is a crucial moment for current Multilateral Trade Negotiations and that as you said, what 159 Members make in the coming months will determine the future of the 
Multilateral Trading System. To this end, Montenegro  would like to appeal to the new leadership to 
intensify dialogue with recently acceded Members to support its capacity building and to include their expertise into decision-making process that  shape the policies and strategies within the 
structure and the balance of the WTO.  
 
My Government and my mission in Geneva are lo oking forward to working closer with Director-
General Azevêdo and will continue strong support and commitment to the strengthening of the 
Multilateral Trading System and the WTO. 
 22. China 
 
I would like to join the previous speakers in we lcoming the new Director-General Mr. Azevêdo, and 
also thank him for his presentation outlining his vi sion on and blueprint for the future work of the 
WTO. We have full confidence that his knowledge, ex periences and skills could lead us to tide over 
this difficult phase. We take this opportunity to assure Mr. Azevêdo that he could count on China’s 
full support and constructive cooperation.  
As the DG highlighted in his statement, the upcomi ng MC9 is the first priority for himself and the 
whole membership as well. A successful meeting in Bali bearing the fruit of early harvest will constitute a first but a solid step in revitalizing the multilateral trading system. With only 84 days 
ahead of us, Members have no choice but to immediately shift back to working mode and make 
joint efforts to push forward the negotiations. As our president H.E. Mr. XI Jinping stated during 
the meeting with the new DG on the sidelines of G20 Summit last week, China will remain as a firm supporter to the Doha Round and multilateral trading system and will spare no effort in 
supporting the DG and offering our contribution  towards the achievement of the early harvest 
package as well as a successful MC9.   
With regard to the preparatory work for Bali, we concur with the plan set out by the DG. From the 
procedural perspective, we are of the view that the useful principles adopted at the previous Ministerial Conference, i.e. full participation, inclusiveness and transparency, should continue to 
guild our work in the following months. On the substance, we share with others that MC9 is not a 
negotiating conference, which means everything we want to achieve must be agreed upon well in 
advance. Thus we need to intensify our work from  now on to finalize the shape and outcome of the 
conference as soon as possible. In our view, it’s appropriate to have a Ministerial Declaration 
encompassing the results of the early harvest, roadmap for post-Bali and other activities of the WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  WTO, such as accession, Aid for Trade and trad e monitoring, just to name a few. China will 
actively participate in the discussion and call upon others to do the same in order to ensure that we will have a successful gathering at the end of this year.  
23. Mexico 
 It is a great pleasure to welcome and congratulate Roberto on taking over this post as Director-
General of the WTO. We are in excellent hands. The hands of a negotiator with well-known 
experience and capacity, intelligence, all of which are needed to reach consensus. As he said in his speech, there are a lot of cross-cutting challenges that we have before us if we are to make Bali a s u c c e s s .  A n d  i f  w e  w a n t  t o  h a v e  a  p a c k a g e  i n  B a l i ,  w e  w o u l d  h a v e  t o  a g r e e  o n  i t  a s  s o o n  a s  
possible so that this package enables us to reach an agreement in all the different aspects of the 
Doha Round. We fully agree with your statement. Indeed, the WTO is far more than Doha but unfortunately, Doha defines us. Doha is really at the forefront of public opinion. And, it is the 
public opinion which defines this organization and if Doha defines us, well, Doha has an impact on 
the rest of the Organization. And, it can be a positive impact, or a negative impact. Therefore, what we need is to ensure that this impact be a positive one so that it does not damage the rest of 
the Organization, and it does not damage first and foremost the Multilateral Trading System.  
 A way of getting out of this is to have a resound ing success in Bali. In this regard, we all know 
where we stand. Firstly, we need to come to an  agreement which is satisfactory in the area of 
agriculture and satisfies the demands of the G-33 because at the same time it must not imply a 
sort of back-treading in WTO discipline. We also need to make progress in the elimination of export subsidies. And of course, in development, we have the monitoring mechanism and I think 
progress has been made here on the Cancún Issues, and also something that is also important, we 
have made progress on the LDC Issues, that is th e package for LDCs, which is of high relevance. 
 
Roberto, with your experience, you can help us enormously. But as you said in your speech, those 
who are responsible are the Members. And, the Me mbers are those who have to show flexibility. 
Hence, the importance of your appeal this morning, that is that we all show flexibility. And here I would like to reaffirm Mexico's commitment and support in all efforts and tasks before you take up 
the challenges that you mentioned this morning, challenges which we must overcome before the 
e n d  o f  O c t o b e r .  T h i s  c a n n o t  b e  s o l v e d  w h e n  w e  get on the plane to Bali. Bali is not there to 
negotiate. Bali is a meeting for Ministers to simp ly accept, to bless all the agreements. I am sure 
you will help us on this road. And I would like to say to Valentine, Alejandro, Harsha, and Rufus, I 
would like express the thanks to the delegation of Mexico for all the support they have given and for all the efforts they have made and to the friendship, I wish you all the best for your future 
endeavours. And in the same vain, I would like to welcome the new Deputy-Directors General and 
Chief of Cabinet. We have an excellen t team on board to lead this ship. 
 24. United States  
 
Let me start by adding our voice to all of those offering sincere congratulations to Director General Azevêdo.  Roberto, like others in this room, we know you well.  We know you as a highly 
intelligent practitioner of international trade law and policy.  We know you as an articulate and 
passionate advocate.  And most importantly for your new position as Director General, we know you as an honest broker. 
 
All of your skills will be challenged by the task be fore you – or more accurately, by the task before 
every person assembled in this room.  Because, as it is worth recalling, all of the Director General’s skills will be necessary for us to succeed , but they will not be sufficient.  To succeed, 
Members will need to do something that – surprisi ngly – has never been done in the twenty year 
history of the World Trade Organization:  successfully conclude a multilateral trade agreement.  
The United States worked with others to found the current system of rules-based multilateral 
trade.  Our commitment to this system is unsurpassed, through six decades and twelve presidents.  But we support multilateralism as a means for getting things done, not as a mere abstraction.  If 
the WTO is to be an institution seen by its Members as offering future opportunities to negotiate 
new rules, the time has come for it to produce meaningful, multilateral results.     WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  Between now and the 9th Ministerial Conference in Ba li, we will learn if the WTO is an institution 
that can produce results.  The good news is that a meaningful deal remains possible, if only just 
barely.    
The deal envisioned could harken a new phase in the history of the WTO in which success begets 
success:  a virtuous cycle in which the completion of new agreements creates an impetus to pursue and complete future agreements.  And there is no reason that the Members in this room 
can’t produce this result.  Even as we have te mpered the ambition of the full Doha Round, we 
must work to ensure that the remaining elements in the Bali package make a true contribution to global trade.   
Virtually all serious outside observers recognize that the most significant development outcome at 
Bali would be an agreement on trade facilitation.  To be meaningful, though, such an agreement must be ambitious.  Practically every element of the trade facilitation deal is designed to make 
trading easier for small and medium-sized businesses.  As we consider individual provisions in the 
weeks ahead, let’s view them through the prism of the small business owners in all of our 
countries who are working hard to link their enterprises to opportunities provided in global 
markets.  If we cut the red tape that blocks their path, they’ll create the jobs we want in all of our 
countries. We agree with the Director General’s statement today that our overriding goal—which we must never forget—is to improve our people’s lives. Trade facilitation is how we do it. That’s the essence of trade facilitation.  In fact, that’s the essence of the WTO.   
 
In a similar vein, the provisions of a trade facilitation agreement are only meaningful if they are implemented, which is why the agreement must be founded on binding obligations.  That’s the 
value-added of the WTO – binding rules.  A bind ing agreement should also provide special and 
differential treatment for developing countries.  That’s why, almost four years ago, the United States put forward a path-breaking proposal to create more flexibility and self-determination for 
developing countries than has ever been contemplat ed in an international trade agreement.  If we 
fail to reach agreement at Bali, this offer of unprecedented flexibility will be among the opportunities foregone.    
If Bali fails, it is difficult to imagine any near or even medium-term prospect of a multilateral trade 
deal.  And absent such a prospect, countries will no doubt intensify their focus on those configurations and fora that are producing results.   
  
Certainly we are ready to work to make the ministerial conference in Bali – and future negotiations in the WTO – a success.  The Director General laid out today an ambitious but workable plan.  But 
of course, that plan represents a process, not the substance of a deal.  No one can come to the 
negotiations unprepared to deal.  The issues are well-known, and consultations with capital should already be advanced.  Nor do we have any time  for abstract musings about proposals with no 
short-term prospects for success.  Such proposals will be recognized for what they are.  As others 
have suggested, by mid-October, one way or the other, we’re going to have a very good idea of 
whether success is possible.  
Director-General, colleagues, we look forward to joining together to make actions of all our words; 
to make the WTO the productive forum we all want it to be.  
25. Argentina 
 Firstly, we endorse the statements made by GR ULAC, the Cairns Group and the Informal Group 
of Developing Countries and welcome the Director-General once again. We also applaud 
the appointment of the Chef de Cabinet and the new Deputy Directors-General, and bid farewell 
to those leaving the posts. 
We thank you for informing us of the next steps to be taken in preparing for the Bali Conference 
and would like to briefly outline our points of view. 
The economic crisis that began in 2008 has raised  questions about the future of the multilateral 
system which have yet to be fully answered. Along with the uncertainty over the prospects 
for growth in the leading economies, an even more complex situation has arisen in terms 
of the strategies aimed at boosting trade. Indeed, there has been an upsurge in plurilateral WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  arrangements and regional agreements, which presen t a serious challenge to a multilateral system 
trapped in a persistent negotiation deadlock. 
The result of this situation is particularly delicate, as the WTO is required to act as the custodian 
of multilateral rules which are increasingly at risk of losing their central importance in international 
trade. The very dispute settlement mechanism (which  has long been exemplary in its effectiveness 
in handling disputes between States) is hampered by difficulties in updating its rules and procedures. 
This is the framework in which the next Minister ial Conference needs to be discussed. As stated 
many times before, in Bali the credibility of the Organization will be at stake. This is true in many ways, because an organization which has struggled for years to produce concrete results is eventually bound to see its image tarnished. However, the real importance of a successful 
outcome in Bali will be measured by its potential to revive the expectations raised by the launching 
of a Development Round in 2001. 
These are the reasons why Argentina and other developing countries have insisted on including 
agriculture in any "package" agreed on in Bali. Ag riculture has been at the centre of the concerns 
that led to this Round, and it will be very difficult to convince us that there is still life in the Round 
if no clear signals are given in this area. 
With regard to trade facilitation, it goes without saying that there is much work to be done, 
not only in Section I but also in Section II and in terms of discussing cross-cutting issues. We will 
support efforts to intensify the negotiations in an open and transparent setting, with a view to reaching a balanced text. 
It is necessary to underline the need to make progress on all of these issues, including all 
the elements of the development pillar. 
We began this statement by emphasizing that Bali was not the end of the road but that it would 
largely determine the likelihood of honouring the commitments we made in the Doha Round. 
You may count on our delegation to work seriously and intensively towards a successful outcome that will bring us a little closer to the objective of a more equitable multilateral system. 
 
26. New Zealand  New Zealand fully subscribes to the sentiments expressed today across the entire membership of 
support to you, Roberto, in your new role, one for which your extensive experience in international 
trade policy matters equips you well – we might say in trade policy parlance that this should give you the necessary comparative advantage to ensure that this organisation addresses the 
significant challenges to its relevance that you have commented on today.   
 This is the first week back at the WTO for many  delegations – indeed, at the New Zealand Mission 
we call this the “back to school” week of the year.   
 I was thinking about this the other night when I dreamt I was 12 years old and back at school and facing the prospect of an exam that I had not studied for (I hope there are no psychologists out 
there).  In fact this is a common dream I understand for many of us, and in this particular dream 
the thought that came into my 12 year old mind as I considered my options was that I really wanted to avoid that exam.   
 
Feeling the onset of some kind of unspecified illness, my first thought was to wonder whether I convince my mother to write a note absenting me from the exam.  I then woke up and was faced 
with the fact that this option is not readily available to us in the WTO – I’m sure of course 
everyone can think up some kind of conceptual WTO equivalent to calling in sick to avoid school or a test – but my point is that if we are serious about getting a successful result in Bali the subject matter we are dealing with in the various Bali areas will require a much strengthened focus and 
attention than has been the case to date. 
 It’s very clear from your statement this morning th at the only option therefore is for all of us to 
engage very energetically from today onwards, not just within our own groups or delegations, but 
across groups and delegations, in recognition of the reality that consensus will be required if we WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  are to succeed.  In this way we will all demonstrate in a very tangible way our support for this 
organisation and the multilateral trading system, and for your contribution in facilitating our effort.  In this member-driven organisation no one expects any DG to be able to deliver without the 
cooperation and support from the membership, and on  behalf of both my country as well as on 
behalf of myself as a Chair, I want to pledge full support for your efforts, and those of your very capable senior management team and the rest of the very professional WTO Secretariat,  over 
coming weeks in seeking to take forward the Bali agenda. 
 At the same time I would fully understand if your mind started to ponder the importance of judging all of us more by our deeds rather than simply our words.  
 
The best support in the weeks ahead would be the immediate and demonstrable constructive 
cooperation of members – this would be characterised by the necessary focus in capitals and a 
clarity around positions on various issues resulting in give and take in negotiations.  This is what is 
needed in short order if we are to have a successful Bali meeting.  
27. Kenya 
 We associate this statement to those already deliver ed by Morocco on behalf of the African Group, 
Jamaica on behalf of the ACP and Dominican Republic on behalf of the Informal Group of 
Developing Countries. 
 Consequently and at the outset, the Kenya delegation is pleased to see, Mr. Roberto Azevêdo - a 
seasoned diplomat and a dedicated professional   take-over the running of this important 
organization.  
It just goes without saying that he has indeed walked a long road to take up the seat that he is 
now occupying. The eight eminently qualified competit ors that he managed to beat for this position 
were not just mere push-overs but people of lo ng proven experiences and impeccable credentials. 
It is therefore his hard work, determination and the right vision that enabled him to come on top. 
 
Mr. Chairman, Director General Roberto, having served ably as Brazil`s Ambassador to the WTO is not a stranger to us. His skills on matters of international trade, stamina and endurance for work 
are well known to us.  
 This morning we listened carefully to his maiden statement he eloquently delivered as the 
substantive Director General of the WTO. His vision and objectives were very clear. We were 
particularly impressed with his already resolve to be an open, transparent and inclusive Director General and the recognition of development dimensions he attached to any DDA outcome - be it partial or its entirety.   
 
It is therefore this background and the high pe digree of his qualities that have convinced the 
Kenya delegation that the best person has ascended to the driving seat of the WTO. 
 
In conclusion, summer break for 2013 is now behind us and it is time to kick-start our programmes.  The MC9 scheduled for Bali is obviously the immediate pressing agenda that we all 
look forward to partner with him to harvest a meaningful and balanced package.  
 To this end, the Kenya delegation stands ready to  work closely with the new Director General and 
his newly appointed competent team to build the necessary trust which he emphasized severally in 
his speech and which to our view is critical in moving the Doha Development Agenda forward. 
 28. Oman 
 
It is a great pleasure to participate in this important meeting of the General Council. It is the first Council meeting of our new Director General Mr. Ro berto Azevêdo. The delegation of the Sultanate 
of Oman extends him a very warm welcome. DG  Azevêdo brings with him vast and valuable 
experience in trade diplomacy and in the working of the Multilateral Trading System. He is no stranger to this organization and to this forum. He is thus ideally suited to steer the organization to fulfill and enhance its noble objectives. 
 WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  The delegation of the Sultanate of Oman associates  itself with the statements of the Asian Group, 
the RAMs Group, the Arab Group and the Informal Group of Developing Countries. We have listened with great interest to the statement of our new Director General. He has spelt out in detail his ideas, his programme and his vision of reinvigorating the WTO and the Doha Development 
Agenda. He has many interesting and novel ideas. The delegation of Oman looks forward to 
working with him for achieving the objectives of the WTO and the DDA. We wish him success in his new endeavours. 
 
On this occasion we would like to highlight and reiterate certain points, since we are entering a new phase of our continuing work. The WTO must remain true to its original objectives of providing a fair and open Multilateral Trading System leading to expansion and liberalization of 
world trade for the benefit and welfare of the people. It should make positive efforts to ensure that 
developing countries secure an increasing share in the growth in the international trade resulting in economic development. And WTO must remain an inclusive and transparent organization. We 
would like to emphasize that the WTO should not, directly or indirectly, deviate from these high 
objectives.  
The Director General has given his views on the Doha Round. New efforts are needed to bring the 
Round to a successful conclusion in a reasonable time frame. The original objectives of the round should not be compromised. The interests and concerns of developing countries must remain at the heart of the Multilateral Trade negotiations. The tremendous amount of work achieved over the 
past years should be preserved, settled issues should not be reopened and new subjects should 
not be added to the agenda. Let me say that we  will be working with the DG to prepare for 
meaningful results and a successful Bali Ministerial conference.  
 
To conclude, we again extend a warm welcome to  our new Director General. Oman looks forward 
to working with him. 
 
29. Republic of Korea  Like many others before, I would like to extend my congratulations to our new DG Roberto 
Azevêdo as he takes the helm of the WTO. 
 I fully share the points which you made today with regard to the significance of the MC9, and its 
relevance with the DDA and the multilateral trading system as a whole.  I trust your ability, 
experience, and integrity. And, I honor your vision and commitments you presented today.  
Indeed, you are now taking on a heavier burden than any of the other DGs since the inception of 
the WTO.  However, the burden you are taking is a collective one for reenergizing the DDA 
negotiations.   As we all are aware, the WTO and the MTS is at a crossroads and faces multiple challenges that 
are linked with one another. The lack of ability to  deal with new trade issues and the gap between 
the realities and the WTO rules are in many ways undermining the relevance and credibility of the WTO and the MTS as such.  
 
We all know well that the current state of play is neither desirable nor acceptable. Can we harvest a meaningful package at Bali and move forward after the MC9? Or, we will continue an 
unacceptable status quo next year and beyond. In order to break the inertia, as the G20 leaders 
reaffirmed in their declaration last week, we all need to rebuild trust among ourselves and should increase political will towards the meaningful outcome of the MC-9 and beyond.   
I do not wish to go with details on the 3 pillar issues.  Considering limited time to Bali, we look 
forward to dynamic horizontal negotiations which will go in tandem with the advancement of the technical maturities in pending areas. By the time we have a contour of the MC9 outcomes we may 
need to be putting our energy towards the post the MC9 work program. 
 We have great expectations and hopes for you, Roberto, as the TNC Chair,  as a manager of the 
WTO Secretariat, as an advocate of free trade, and as a collaborator with other international 
organizations.   WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  Along these lines, Korea is ready to engage and contribute in this valuable process and to share 
the burden together with our new DG and his capable team.  Finally, I would like to welcome the four new DDGs and the Chief of Cabinet.    
30. India  
 It is a great pleasure to welcome Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo as the new Director-General of the 
WTO.  
 As the distinguished Ambassador of Brazil and Braz il’s chief trade negotiator before that, Roberto 
has earned the respect and admiration of many in this house for his sharp intellect, clarity of 
thought, eloquent articulation, effective negotiatin g skills, overall consensus building approach and 
a deep understanding of the WTO’s trade related work. It is therefore no surprise that he was able to win the support of the wider membership to lead this organization at a difficult and challenging 
time, despite stiff competition from 8 other eminent contenders.   
 Personally, as a friend and colleague, I have had the privilege of working very closely with Roberto 
on a range of issues of mutual interest. He understands the pulse of this organization and is all too 
familiar with members’ concerns. With the Bali Ministerial only a few months away, I have no doubt that his long experience as a negotiator and trade expert will be a great asset in achieving a 
balanced, substantive and meaningful package in Bali, paving the way for a rejuvenation of the 
negotiating agenda of the WTO. The roadmap outlin ed by the DG to achieve it is practical and 
eminently doable. On behalf of the membership, I can assure the DG that there is a collective will which is clearly palpable and which is required for achieving a positive outcome in Bali.  
 
On behalf of my delegation, I would like to wish DG Roberto Azevêdo all the very best in his new assignment and extend him our full support and cooperation for a successful Bali Ministerial and 
the work that lies beyond in carrying forward the Doha Agenda.  
 31. Switzerland   
Director-General, I thank you for a strong and clear address to us Members on how you see the 
WTO and what you want to achieve in the coming four years. I thank you also for your assessment on where we are on the road to Bali and the outlin e on how you foresee to tackle the work ahead. 
Switzerland commends you for having assemble d a strong management team. We are very 
pleased with your choices for the DDG posts and for the cabinet. The high calibre of this new team auger well for the ability of the WTO to overcome the challenges we face. Roberto, you said rightly 
that the world would not wait for WTO. Therefore, we count on you and your team to maintain 
together with the Members, a strong and relevant WTO, and to manage it in a way that the organization, in particular, the Secretariat, continues to work efficiently and smoothly.   
I am pleased about the emphasis you have put on inclusiveness and transparency in the way you 
described your management style. This morning you also said that we have to breathe new life into the WTO and Switzerland cannot agree more. The Multilateral Trading System is an 
achievement we have to care about. In Geneva, we have to work hard to find solutions. However, 
Roberto, we encourage you also to seek both the strong support for the WTO in the capitols. 
Without such support, we will not be able to succe ed in Geneva. We trust you Roberto to make use 
o f  y o u r  w i s d o m ,  s k i l l s ,  a n d  e n e r g y  t o  f i g h t  protectionism and to conduct successful WTO 
negotiations and ultimately, to reinstate the WTO to its role as a central forum for rule-making and market access negotiations. More specifically on MC9, I do appreciate the commitment to work toward restoring trust and confidence in the house. This is the basis if we are serious about going 
for results. I welcome also your outline to identify the work; and, support your call on people from 
capitols and my senior official is on stand-by. Possibly, we should however not only include the trade people in Geneva but also the relevant people from other ministries for instance from 
agriculture, customs, or from development corporations. Roberto, let me assure you that 
Switzerland is and remains committed to the Multilateral Trading System. We strongly support your efforts together with the Membership to reach a meaningful and realistic outcome to Bali. 
 
32. European Union   On behalf of the European Union, I would like to welcome the new Director-General and his new 
and excellent team. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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I want also to support his sense of priorities as they were presented to us this morning. He started with the role of the WTO in the fight against protectionism. As he said, all functions of the WTO, including Dispute Settlement, Aid for Trade, the Enhanced Integrated Framework and others, but 
also issues of management, need his attention. He  indeed needs to build further on the excellent 
work done by the Organization during these last years in many of these areas under the able guidance of Pascal Lamy. 
 
As the DG also rightly said, for today and for the coming weeks and up to December, the focus is naturally on Bali. In this respect, we have all listened carefully to his intervention setting out his plans for the coming weeks. The European Union fully agrees on the need to intensify efforts at all 
level and the DG can count on our strong support for the work plan that he has outlined this 
morning. We need a coherent and efficient process that will deliver results by MC9 and, together 
with the DG, we are resolved to make every effort possible and necessary.  
 
We see that there is clearly a strong appetite for results. We heard this again today. Also just a 
few days ago world leaders in St. Petersburg at  the G-20 summit called on all WTO Members to 
engage in negotiations by showing the necessary fl exibilities in order to reach agreement at MC9. 
We need to collectively respond and show that the WTO can deliver a substantial outcome.  Whatever its outcome, MC9 will be a defining mo ment for the WTO and the multilateral system. If 
we succeed, we will pave the way to addressing the rest of the DDA and set the stage for further 
negotiations. If we fail, the negotiating function of the WTO will likely suffer further for years to come. The DG talked eloquently about the consequences of failure. I don't need to add more 
except that failure is clearly not in the interest of any WTO Member, be it developing or developed. 
 We are still very much in the realm of small steps. It is more important than ever that we continue 
to avoid controversial issues which we know cannot be resolved. I remain confident that we are 
perfectly capable of finding acceptable compromises in all three pillars: trade facilitation, agriculture and development.  
On Trade Facilitation, I have been encouraged by  the intensive work undertaken by the Friends of 
the Chair in addressing outstanding issues; this remains an asset of the process. We have seen acceleration of discussions on Section II. I believe that a solution is within reach – that would allow 
us to have a binding WTO agreement in line with the mandate for an innovative SDT treatment 
that Ministers agreed in July 2004. There are some important issues on Section I including customs co-operation and transit – which still retain a comparatively high number of brackets. 
These issues should not be left till the last moment. Further work and substantive progress is 
needed now.  On agriculture, I welcome the fact that Me mbers are gaining an increasingly intimate 
understanding of what is and isn't doable. Resolving the Food Security proposal is a key concern 
so it is good that Members are engaging constructively to find a pragmatic solution. We need to keep our appetites in check however and constantly make sure that what we are seeking is 
possible and reasonable in the current negotiating climate. 
 On development issues, efforts are still needed. Good preparatory work is being done and we 
should continue on this track. Similarly, we are ready to continue engaging on LDC issues in order 
to find satisfactory and acceptable outcomes. I encourage LDCs to come forward with clear, credible and realistic requests.  
The EU will support the negotiation process in Gene va in all possible ways. We are also particularly 
pleased that Lord Green is one of the vice -chairs of the Bali Ministerial Conference. 
 
Overall, we have made good progress in our negotiations since MC8 and now have the necessary 
level of advancement and confidence to enter soon into final negotiations. In this context, we call on Members to seriously engage over the coming  weeks under the leadership of the Director-
General. 
 Finally, I want to express our appreciation and g ood wishes to Arancha, Valentine, Alejandro, 
Harsha and Rufus. 
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  33. Mauritius  
 My delegation aligns itself with the statements of Morocco on behalf of the African Group, Jamaica for the ACP, and Zimbabwe for SADC in extending a warm welcome to Mr. Roberto Azevêdo while 
he assumes his office as the Director-General of the WTO. Mr. Azevêdo, I am confident that your 
close and extensive knowledge of the WTO and your standing experience and technical expertise in 
international trade would serve you in good stead in the successful discharge of your 
responsibilities. I reiterate my delegation's full su pport to you and your office, including your newly 
appointed team of DDG's and Chief of Staff.   Mauritius, a small island developing State with an open economy, depends heavily on trade for its 
continued development. It therefore attaches gr eat importance to the WTO and the Multilateral 
Trading System and our key priority for Bali is to achieve a credible and meaningful outcome based on a package which enjoys consensus of al l WTO Members. In this regard, my delegation 
welcomes the proposed principles of inclusiveness,  and transparency of the Director-General in the 
preparation for the MC9 in Bali. We are also encour aged by his statement outlining his priorities of 
his mandate. 
 
Mr. Director-General, the process to Bali is only three months now and is still a very daunting challenge. And knowing fully well the cost of failur e as you rightly pointed out, we have no option 
than to intensify our negotiations for a successful outcome in Bali. We should also in all earnest 
gear ourselves over the post-Bali Work Programme for an early conclusion of the Doha 
Development Agenda and that would re-establish the WTO as an instrument which can credibly deliver on global development and multilateral trade in the best interest of all of its Members.  
 
34. Chile   
It is with great pride that Chile welcomes the ne w Director-General, the first Director-General who 
comes from our region. He has experience, leader ship, and in-depth knowledge of the different 
issues dealt with in this Organization. We would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new Deputy Directors-General, as well to the new Chief of Cabinet. These are colleagues we know to 
have a lot of experience and it is very comforting to know that they are the ones now sharing 
responsibility in the management of this institution. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the outgoing team of De puty Directors-General and the Cabinet Members. 
You have set the level very high. 
 The first mission falling on the shoulders of our new Director-General is to steer us to safe haven 
in December. As always, you will be able to rely on the support of Chile to achieve a successful 
package in Bali. We are convinced that both agricult ure and trade facilitation are of interest for all 
Members in general but also for developing Members in particular. The package must also contain elements which benefit more specifically to the LDCs. Roberto mentioned some points of this 
package this morning and that the credibility of this Organization depends on this and this is also 
important for the future of the Doha Round. All efforts made by the new team, well, the first responsibility however falls on Members' shou lders on this end and we must indeed enter 
negotiating mode today. It is time to go back to the table but we must do this with a different 
attitude. And, we must really respond to the need s and responsibilities of the Multilateral Trading 
System. Mr. Chairman, there is no Plan B for Dece mber. More importantly, bilateral exercises or 
plurilateral exercises are not alternatives to th e WTO. In a more and more globalized world, a 
more integrated world, world rules are the only ef fective path if we are to protect all Members on 
an equal footing. A strong WTO is the only guarantee for free trade in the long-term. As a good football player, Roberto knows exactly how to avoi d obstacles and get goals to win and I am sure 
that in this game he will he lp us. Good luck, Roberto!  
 35. Bolivia, Plurinational State of 
 
It is my pleasure to welcome Roberto Azevêdo as the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization. It is a source of pride for our region that, for the first time since 
the GATT 1947, a Latin American is at the helm of mu ltilateral trade. We feel that this appointment 
is yet another sign of the changes taking place at global level, where we are experiencing a transition from a system controlled by a handful of players, including the higher echelons of the 
international organizations, to an increasingly balanced world. 
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  Witnessing you at the head of this Organization is part of this change, although we are aware that 
y o u ,  l i k e  a l l  M e m b e r s ,  w i l l  b e  f a c i n g  t h e  l e g a c y  o f  t h e  p a s t .  T h i s  l e g a c y  i s  r e f l e c t e d  in an unbalanced multilateral system which favours those who are not in need; is unfair in relation to the comparative advantages of developing countries; has the potential to increasingly restrict 
the necessary policy space for the development of the majority; and is at times even morally 
reproachable when it fails to provide the bare mi nimum to those in greatest need, such as LDCs. 
 
However, Mr Director-General, we are confident that you, together with the majority 
of WTO Members - that is to say developing countries and Members with good will which see the need for change - will join forces to revert this lamentable state of affairs, so that together we will be able to embark upon the construction of a multilateral trading system that is fairer and more 
balanced, but above all more representative of the majority, in particular those who are most 
in need.  
We are aware that, in order to achieve these objectives, you will need support. Let me reassure 
you that the majority of WTO Members, including the Plurinational State of Bolivia, will be rallying behind you. We are also aware that it will not be possible to change everything overnight; 
however, with the will and backing of the greate st possible number of countries, both a qualitative 
and a quantitative difference will be able to be achieved.  Without further ado, Mr Director-General, we extend our best wishes to you in the hope that your 
decisions will lead us all along the road towards a more human and fair multilateral trading system 
which is in harmony with the needs of the majority, that is to say with the right to development of developing countries. 
 
36. Canada   
We join others in both welcoming DG and in reconfirming Canada's commitment to working with 
him and other delegations over the coming weeks to make Bali a success.  And as this may be last GC for the current DDGs, special thanks to them  – remarkable array of knowledge and insight, 
institutional memory, and trust DG will take full advantage of their remaining tenure. 
 
DGs vision more generally quite rightly put Bali at the centre of our attention, but also quite rightly asked us to reflect on the challenges we face beyond Bali. "Nous sommes d’accord que le cycle de 
négociations sur la liberalisation du commerce est en panne. Il n’a pas débouché sur des accords 
importants d’ouverture des marches prévoyant la suppression de barrières douanières, des 
subventions et des taxes excessives pour aider au développement des pays les plus pauvres.  M. 
Azevêdo va devoir surmonter les divergences sur ces questions." 
 Permit me to offer a few observations, not with a view to making the DGs life more complicated, but rather to offer even more support. 
 
First, as the DG himself noted, while pursuing the Bali agenda, we look to DG to ensure that the WTO conducts its on-going business well.  My coll eagues from Peru on behalf of GRULAC, Egypt, 
Ukraine and Japan, among others, highlighted the importance of a well-functioning dispute 
settlement system and of vigorous surveillance.  And the G20 was explicit in endorsing the WTO's 
research capacity, which has not only assisted members in resisting protectionism, but has helped 
to anticipate where new rule-making may be beneficial, for example respecting Global Value 
Chains.  Each of these on-going activities is dependent on the DGs engagement, allocation of resources and administrative oversight, which we know you will provide.  
Secondly, the DG drew our attention in his remarks to the importance of inclusiveness and 
transparency in everything the WTO does, whether by  way of negotiations or ongoing business.  In 
addressing the challenges he identified, and particularly in respect of poverty alleviation and 
development, we will support you in pursuing greater, and better, institutional cooperation, 
whether with the FAO and others on food security ; with the Bretton Woods institutions on better 
understanding the inexorable relationship between domestic structural reforms and liberalizing 
trade as contributors to growth; or with UNCTAD, other UN agencies and bilateral donors on all 
aspects of the development agenda.  Thirdly, the DG reminds us of the reality of the stalled Doha agenda.  And we welcome his 
commitment to bringing that agenda to a successful conclusion.  But we need not, and cannot, shy WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  away from discussion - especially in a non-negotiating setting, of issues that determine how 
business is conducted in the 21st Century, and on which multilateral understanding can help to support balanced, inclusive and sustainable growth.  For example, as study after study by UNCTAD 
and the WTO have shown, we are deepening our understanding of the contribution made by 
investment and services to well-functioning global value chains.  And the joint WTO/WIPO/WHO 
study on innovation, health and trade demonstrates the value of work on the various ways in which questions of trade, health, and the environment interact.  Looking ahead, in a world of 
commerce that encompasses a digital economy, we need to think through our role alongside 
WIPO, the ITU and national governments in ensuring that the digital world contributes to growth.  As I said at the outset, the DG has set out a full plate of challenges to be addressed as a matter of 
immediate priority.  Given his breadth of vision and immense capacity, we have no doubt that his 
embrace and pursuit of some of the broader and lo nger term issues I have mentioned will not in 
any way be at the expense of the Bali, and Doha, agenda. 
 
37. Norway   
As others we welcome the new DG and his ambitious statement this morning.   We look forward to 
working with him and his new team.  We welcome the DGs focus on the important regular work fo the WTO and appreciate his emphasis on the internal management of the organization, which we should, as the DG stated, maintain as a centre of excellence. 
 
But, our immediate concern and priority is the preparations for the Bali Ministerial.  Mr. DG, we welcome your active role and involvement in the process over the next few weeks.  We appreciate 
the process you have outlined and will support your efforts.  As among others stated by Mexico, it 
is however important to remember that the responsibility in no way rests on the DG alone, but that we as members have to make every effort to cooperate with the DG and the Chairs to make 
the best of the limited time available. Our aim must of course be to make the Bali Ministerial a 
success with results in TF, Development and Ag riculture, paving the way for the wider DDA 
package.  As the EU, we look forward to your ideas on how to go forward on the DDA.  
We are very pleased with the importance you atta ched in your statement to the principles upon 
which our work is based, that is transparency, inclusiveness and bottom-up.  The process has to create ownership of the result among the whole me mbership, given that this is a member driven 
organization. 
 I can assure you that Norway will make every effort to contribute towards making Bali a success.  
As strong supporters of the Multilateral Trading System, we have everything to gain. 
 On a more specific issue, and here  I refer to the G 33 proposal on food security.  At the end of July 
we shared some ideas for a possible compromise that we urged members to reflect on over the 
summer break.   Our intention has been to consider taking those ideas and make them into an 
actual proposal, depending on members’ feedback.  
Unfortunately we are not in a position at this stage to present any proposal.  From what we have 
heard in our conversations, considerable gaps remain between members’ positions alongside uncertainty as to what type of approach could be acceptable to both sides.  We therefore urge 
members to work intensively to bridge these gaps.  Norway is committed to help find an 
operational and effective solution.  38. Bangladesh  
 
Let me begin by associating with the statements made by Nepal on behalf of the LDC group and 
Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Asia group. 
 
I would like to thank Roberto for his very encour aging statement and sharing his perspectives on a 
broad range of issues, responsibility as DG WTO & his vision & priorities. 
 
While extending very warm felicitations to Roberto on his assumption to the helm of Multilateral Trading System embodied in WTO, we genuinely pin our hope in his leadership for success in Bali and DDA in the near future. Since Roberto has been a great champion of Development in WTO, we 
along with all other LDCs are very optimistic about the prospect of DOHA. His knowledge, wisdom, WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  commitment and leadership will greatly help us advancing the cause of LDCs. And, as a true friend 
of LDCs we also strongly believe, Roberto will succeed in facilitating implementation of the decisions of the Hong Kong Ministerial on market access for LDCs on a high priority basis and create more jobs through promoting exports and other priority issues. 
 
Mr. Chair, we also consider him a great champion of LDCs priority issues and how best LDCs could be better integrated in the MTS. In this respect, we  firmly believe, Roberto will be supported by all, 
through their understanding, cooperating and flexibility  so that he can shepherd the Bali Ministerial 
as a successful one preserving LDCs interests in all the priority issues.  Mr. Chair, I would like to welcome & congratulate the new DDGs, Chef the Cabinet. Our deepest 
appreciation is also to all outgoing DDG, for their invaluable contributions.  
 Finally, Roberto we have our fullest trust & confidence in you & your leadership. You can also 
count on our all-out support in your endeavours. 
 39. Sri Lanka  
 
Director General, Roberto Azevêdo, Sri Lanka is pleased to join other delegations in extending its heartiest congratulations to you on your appointment as the new Director General of the WTO.  We strongly believe that you, with your hands-on knowledge and experience in this organization as 
well as your firm commitment to the multilateral trading system (MTS), will inject a fresh impetus 
to the negotiating pillar of the WTO, the Doha Development Agenda.    
Sri Lanka also warmly welcomes and congratulates the new Deputy Directors-General, the 
experienced and committed Ambassadors, Yi Xiaoz hun of China, Karl-Ernst Brauner of Germany, 
Yonov Frederick Agah of Nigeria and David Shark of  the United States and the Chef de Cabinet, 
Ambassador Tim Yeend of Australia.  
 We all agree that upholding the credibility of the WTO and the multilateral trading system remains the top most priority of the hour. The DDA has alre ady taken 12 long years, sadly with very little 
progress. The painfully slow progress has compelled the Members to pursue alternate avenues in 
advancing their trade interests.  This is not at all healthy for the future of the MTS. It is, therefore, high time the Members genuinely committed themselves for a meaningful course of action in 
overcoming the current impasse in the DDA, demonstrating adequate flexibilities on their long-held 
positions.     
In view of the current status of the negotiations an d the very short time left for us prior to the 9th 
Ministerial, the Members will not expect you, th e new DG, to perform miracles in Bali. However, 
they will certainly look forward to your leadership in crafting a pragmatic road-map that would address the DDA stalemate within a reasonable peri od of time and in a balanced manner. A road-
map that would ensure an effective MTS with tangib le benefits to the global community.  Sri Lanka 
would be happy to work with you closely in this important task.  -  I wish you and your team every success.   
 
40. Ghana   
Ghana associates itself with the statements made by Morocco on behalf of the African Group and 
Jamaica on behalf of the ACP.  Ghana would like to welcome Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo for taking up the mantle of leadership 
of this August organization and to wish him well  during his tenure in office.  Although Ambassador 
Azevêdo has taken over leadership at a very challe nging time in the life of the WTO, we are of the 
firm conviction that he has what it takes to navigate through the turbulent storms of 
multilateralism. 
 Ghana would also like to congratulate the new Director-General for having appointed all his four 
Deputy Directors-General who would assist him in delivering on his mandate. From the names that 
we have, we are more than convinced that th e appointees are very capable individuals who 
collectively will bring their wealth of experience s and competencies to bear on the work of the 
WTO. The appointees are people that most of us are familiar with and can bear testimony of their WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  exceptional capabilities. We, therefore, take this opportunity to congratulate the Deputy Directors-
General as well.  More encouraging is the fact that the new Director-General engaged extensively with his former 
colleagues on most of the new appointments thereby ensuring that the Deputies have the support 
and confidence of the Ambassadorial community and delegates as well. Again, this is a feather in your cap. 
 
Chair, with the Director-General having assumed office, the single most important challenge that confronts him and the Membership is a successful MC9 outcome. Bali is less than three months 
away and there is still substantial amount of work to be done here in Geneva.  
 
With the limited time at our disposal and the possibility of challenges on our way, it is pertinent that as we make progress towards Bali, we do not lose sight of working on a comprehensive post-
Bali road-map which would assure Members that the outstanding issues would be diligently dealt 
with after December. It is important that we recognize the importance of all the agriculture issues to the economies of most developing countries and LDCs and only a comprehensive post-Bali road-
map would give the needed comfort to all Members to continue to engage more positively.  
 Let me state emphatically that the Doha Round should not be made to die an unnatural death and more so on the laps of the new and vibrant Director-General and his team. 
 
I must, however, say that we are very much comforted by the words of the new Director-General about his readiness to take all issues pertinent to the survival of this organization on board. 
 
Chair, allow me to once again congratulate the new Director-General and his team and to assure them of the unwavering support of Ghana during their tenure in office. 
 
41. Ecuador  On behalf of my Government and on my own account, I should like to extend our most sincere 
congratulations to Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo and to pledge our support for his management. 
 We also wish to congratulate the new Deputy Directors-General, who start work on 1 October, 
and to thank the deputies who have come to the en d of their term of office and wish them every 
success in the future.  
Mr Director-General, your appointment, which we enthusiastically supported, has fuelled our 
expectations and, above all, renewed our hopes for a multilateral trading system fully harnessed in the service of development objectives and based on real inclusiveness and genuine transparency, 
that must go beyond simplistic and dogmatic approximations and narrow ideological paradigms. 
 
We must move towards a system which provides all of its Members with security and predictability, whilst granting developing countries sufficient opportunities and effective tools to enable 
them to progress harmoniously towards the achievement of their economic and social 
development objectives. As Chair of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC), you would be able to make significant contributions in this field. 
 
With regard to the Doha Round and in particular the 9
th Ministerial Conference to be held in Bali, 
we wish to state the following:  
As far as substance is concerned, we feel that the content of the development component must be 
concrete, measurable and operative; that is to say, it is pointless to adopt formulations which are ambiguous or lack effective content or to recreate or reformulate provisions of a purely declaratory 
nature. The clear and unambiguous mandate contained in paragraph 41 of the Doha Declaration 
must of necessity be reflected in binding, effective and operational results, inter alia . 
 
As far as procedure is concerned, a referential sequence needs to be established in Bali or, at the 
very least, certain targets to steer the development of the Doha negotiations.  I hereby reiterate our support and wish you every success. 
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  42. Guinea  
 Like the speakers before me, I sincerely congratu late Ambassador Azevêdo once again, on behalf 
of the Guinean authorities, on his election as head of the World Trade Organization. My 
congratulations also go to Ambassador Yi of China, Mr Brauner of Germany, Mr Shark of the United 
States, our brother Ambassador Agah of Nigeria and the new Chef de Cabinet, Ambassador Yeend of Australia. Guinea has no doubt that the long  and extensive experience of these distinguished 
individuals will afford the Director-General th e full support he needs to carry out the work 
of our Organization. 
The Republic of Guinea has taken note of the Di rector-General's opening statement and welcomes 
the priority he attaches to development issues in the Doha Round, particularly to the legitimate 
concerns of the least developed countries (LDCs). 
In his introductory statement, the Director-General identified a number of priorities that could 
pave the road to Bali. My country welcomes the consultations he intends to hold on these priorities 
in a transparent, open and inclusive manner. 
This is the opportunity for Guinea to reassert its commitment to the multilateral trading system 
based on equitable and mutually beneficial rules for all, as well as its firm determination to actively 
engage in the Doha Development Round negotiations. 
Since the Round was launched in 2001, Guinea has never ceased to believe in the legitimacy of 
these negotiations and therefore sees this is as an opportune moment to reaffirm its engagement. My country hopes that a number of LDC concerns will serve as a compass at the 9
th Ministerial 
Conference in Bali in order to move fo rward with the other negotiating areas. 
Guinea would like to integrate into the global economy through market access opportunities given 
by WTO Members, but this will only occur if it receives constant support in its efforts to overcome 
supply-side, basic infrastructure and productivity constraints. In this connection, technical 
assistance and trade capacity building remain esse ntial for reaching these objectives. However, as 
you well know, supply-side constraints can only be overcome through programmes such as the 
Enhanced Integrated Framework and Aid for Trade. Guinea accordingly encourages the 
Director-General to continue and intensify the work already done under the Enhanced Integrated Framework and Aid for Trade. 
The LDCs have expressed a number of concerns to the Membership in a consolidated document 
and would like to see tangible results emerge during the Doha Development Round and beyond. 
Of course, there is the 9
th Ministerial Conference in Bali, but WTO Members must also remember to 
look beyond Bali. To inject new momentum into the Doha Development Round negotiating process 
and the activities of the WTO, Guinea is counting on the negotiating skills of the Director-General 
as facilitator and Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee. 
I am convinced that the Director-General's personal  involvement will help us move forward on the 
concerns of the LDCs, Guinea included. These concerns relate, among others, to the economic 
benefits of market access, food security, rules of origin, non-tariff barriers, support for diversification efforts by the Enhanced Integrated Framework and Aid for Trade, trade facilitation, the cotton issue and the accession of LDCs to the WTO. 
I would like to conclude by expressing the Guinean authorities' renewed congratulations 
to Ambassador Azevêdo and assuring him of the full cooperation and support of the Permanent 
Mission of Guinea in Geneva.  
 
43. Costa Rica  
 
Costa Rica supports the statements made on beha lf of GRULAC and the CAIRNS Group. Roberto's 
message today at this Council as the new Director-General has been a sign of commitment to the Multilateral Trading System, which should encourage us all to make every effort possible to accompany his efforts in achieving the objectives he has laid out. Roberto, Costa Rica 
congratulates you wishing you all success and will actively support these efforts to strengthen the WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  Multilateral trading System and so that the path to Bali will enable us to reach the agreements that 
our Organization and our countries require. My congratulations also go to the appointed Deputy Directors-General David, Yi, Karl, and Fred. Congratulations also to Tim. They are all high level experts and we wish them very much good work and excellent results. Alejandro, Rufus, Harsha, 
Valentine, and also for Pascal and Arancha, we extend our thanks and wish you all success in your 
new undertaking.   
Mr. Chairman, we know what is the share of work in this Organization where we have not fulfilled 
our mandate in the past years. We know therefore that in Bali, we must show that WTO can reach Multilateral Trade Agreements. We are please d to see the message from the recent G-20 
declaration in this respect because it points us towards the right path to follow and in achieving 
the open rules based trading system which is crucial for restoring global growth. We underline the 
importance of trade as a key to economic grow th, sustainable development, and job creation 
globally and at the national level. The fact that the G-20 countries have recognized the role that is 
played in economic recovery and sustainable de velopment by free trade and investment; and the 
support for this group of work as we head towards Bali should be used by us as guidance in the work that we are doing here in the WTO and in our efforts towards MC9 in December. I would like 
to underscore two other elements contained in the G-20 declaration. The statements strongly 
affirm these countries' commitment against protectionism. Costa Rica welcomes and supports the extension of the standstill commitment. The declarat ion also recognizes the importance of global 
value chains. This recognition will smoothen the way for work at the WTO on this important trade 
phenomenon.  
 This is work that Costa Rica has defended because we believe that global value chains offer 
valuable opportunities to developing countries and linking up with sectors in world trade which can 
bring them greater benefits. The next few weeks will be decisive if we are to achieve agreements in December. However, we will need to once again negotiate to do this. We need to see how much 
more we can give in negotiations. How much more  flexible we need to be and do what G-20 has 
recognized that trade liberalization will bring us local and global benefits. Finally, in negotiations, substance and form are intimately interlinked and this is why around the negotiating table, we believe that the main players must be present, va rious groups must be present, but also various 
positions or different perspectives in each negotiation. Costa Rica therefore hopes and trusts that 
the consultations will be inclusive and that the doors will be open to any delegation interested in participating.  
 
44. Rwanda   
Rwanda aligns itself with the statements delivered by Morocco, Nepal, and Jamaica, respectively, 
on behalf of the African Group, the LDCs, an d the ACP Group. Rwanda warmly congratulates 
Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo on his assumption on the post of Director-General of the WTO. We 
also warmly congratulate the other members of his team.  
 
We have listened carefully to the Director-General's statement this morning. We welcome your commitment to ensuring that the WTO remains at the centre of the development-focused 
Multilateral Trading System. We welcome your emphasis on transparency, openness, and 
inclusiveness, and the emphasis on teamwork. We also welcome the emphasis on ensuring that we 
achieve a successful balanced Bali outcome. In this regard, Rwanda believes that the Bali 
outcome, in particular, with an agreement on trade facilitation will enhance development 
significantly. Furthermore, aid for trade in th e area can help our countries integrate in the 
Multilateral Trading System, and we welcome the commitment from many partners to continue providing support including for the implementa tion of trade facilitation. Rwanda remains 
constructively engaged in the negotiating process and in the work of this Organization. Rwanda's 
Minister of Trade and Industry, François Kanimba, who is also the Vice Chair in the Bali Conference, will work very closely with other Members and other Ministers to ensure a successful 
agreement in Bali.  
 Finally and in conclusion, just to assure you the support of my delegation, and that we will remain 
constructively engaged in the process. 
 WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  45. Colombia  
 In addition to endorsing the statements made by Peru, on behalf of GRULAC, and by Australia, on 
behalf of the Cairns Group, my delegation is taking the floor on behalf of the new Ambassador of 
Colombia to this Organization, Gabriel Duque, who was hoping to be in Geneva to attend this 
General Council Special Session. However, things do not always turn out the way we would like them to and Ambassador Duque will only be arri ving here in two days' time, on Wednesday. 
 
Since he is unable to be present, he has asked me to welcome you as Director General of this 
Organization and wish you and your first-rate task force every success, as well as to reiterate the Colombian government's commitment to the multilateral trading system and, above all, to a 
successful Ministerial Conference in Bali. 
 I wish to assure you, on his behalf, of his unremitting willingness and commitment and his 
intention to work resolutely over the next few days to help you achieve such an outcome and 
secure this package of deliverables – which is clearly within our grasp if we make proper use of the time remaining. 
 
46. Côte D'Ivoire   The delegation of Côte d'Ivoire welcomes the resumption of our activities after the summer break 
and is pleased to see you guide the work of the Council with the same efficiency. 
 The Ivorian delegation echoes the statements ma de by the Ambassador of Morocco on behalf of 
the African Group, the Ambassador of Jamaica on be half of the ACP Group, and the Ambassador of 
Togo on behalf of the WAEMU.  
The Ivorian delegation would also like to take this timely opportunity to convey once again its 
sincere congratulations to His Excellency Mr Roberto Azevêdo, the new WTO Director-General, and to briefly express its concerns regarding the Doha Round, bearing in mind that as crucial as it may be, the 9th Ministerial Conference, to be held in Bali next December, is but another equally 
important step in the pursuit of our development goals. 
 Mr Director-General, my delegation welcomes your appointment as head of our Organization and 
would like, on the occasion of your first participation in the Council as Director-General, to 
congratulate you wholeheartedly and thank you for the commitment and interest you have shown with respect to development matters, as refl ected in your support for the cotton issue. 
 
 The development dimension at the WTO, as manifested, in part, through the notion of "Special and Differential Treatment", remains an imperative that should guide the Doha Round, the so-called 
"Development Round"   indeed, the failure to conc lude the Doha negotiations ultimately penalizes 
the economies of developing countries such as Côte d'Ivoire.  
In this regard, my delegation is eager to see a timetable established that would enable us, as soon 
as possible, to examine the substantive issues that will be submitted to our ministers in Bali. That, 
after all, is where the problem lies: in the su bstance and the underlying issues, which are more 
political than technical. In order to speed up the process and, in particular, to resolve these issues, 
it is therefore essential that policymakers step up their involvement and commitment. 
 Indeed, in a context marked since September 2008 by the biggest economic and financial crisis 
since the Great Depression, any delay in completing a "Development Round" of negotiations can 
only aggravate the inherent difficulties of our economies, which are striving to join the ranks of the so-called emerging economies. 
 
This is why success in Bali, which would breathe new life into the negotiations explicitly endorsed by policymakers through declarations and commitmen ts at the highest level, is as urgent and 
desirable as ever. 
 With this in mind, the delegation of Côte d'Ivoire expresses its readiness to support your initiatives and wishes you every success in accomplishing your mission. 
 WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  47. Uganda  
 Mr. Chairman, since I am taking the floor for the first time, allow me convey my delegation’s warm felicitations to Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo for his elevation to the high office of WTO. We 
associate ourselves with the statements of others in welcoming the new Director General at this 
time in the life of our Organisation when many stru ggle to look at the bright side of the future of 
the World Trade Organization. 
 
We are optimistic that given the Director-General’s vast experience and inside knowledge of the workings of the WTO, and with the competent team of DDGs at his disposal; he will help bridge the gaps currently existing with the view of renewi ng the hope of many in this institution. It is 
imperative for Uganda that the WTO continues to play the important role of ensuring the continued 
development of an open, rule-based, predictabl e and non-discriminatory trading system. Perhaps 
of more import to our delegation is that the WTO as an instrument of sustainable development 
s h o u l d  c o m e  o n  t h e  s i d e  o f  t r a d e ,  d e v e l o p m e n t  a n d  p o v e r t y  a l l e v i a t i o n .  W e  r e a f f i r m  o u r  
delegation’s continued support to the Director Ge neral in achieving sustainable outcomes including 
in the reform of this organization.  
 
Chair, like many, we have learnt that there are lands that the good Lord has gifted, where fuel flows as seamlessly as water in our Uganda.  In fact we are told that water is more expensive than fuel in those parts of the world. In Uganda, the reve rse is true. As we prepare to travel to Bali, we 
have long noticed that all the bags are packed but yet the fuel for such travel is un-inspiringly 
meagre. We are hopeful that we shall all work tire lessly so as to not only have an outcome for Bali 
but one which meaningfully translates into improved livelihoods for our people. On this note 
therefore we would like to associate ourselves wi th the statements of the African Group, The LDC 
group and the ACP group.  
I’d like to conclude with a quote from Maya Angelou: 
 
"Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the road which lie ahead and those over which we have travelled, an d if the feature road looms ominous or 
unpromising, and the road back uninviting-inviting, then we need to gather our resolve 
and carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If 
the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to 
change that one as well." 
 48. Uruguay  
 
It is with great pleasure that we welcome the new Director-General, Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo. It is also an honour to be able to say that for the first time we have a representative from the region at the helm of this Organization . We associate ourselves with the statement made 
by the Ambassador of Peru on behalf of the GRUL AC. And, we also associate ourselves with the 
statement made by the Ambassador from Dominican Republic on behalf of the Informal Group of 
Developing Countries. I think these statements reflect the feelings we have; the feelings of 
happiness and the realization of the work awaiting us  ahead. On behalf of my country, I would like 
to convey to the Director-General congratulations an d all the very best for this new period starting 
and also say that my delegation will offer our full support in the very difficult work awaiting us on 
our way to the Ministerial Conference in Bali, which we consider to be a very important first step to 
overcome the deadlock so as to conclude the Doha Round.   For Uruguay, the WTO plays an important role as it represents a legal framework which offers 
certain guarantees in international trade for Me mbers. We have listened with great deal of 
attention to your opening remarks this morning and we fully share what you said. We are convinced that a Multilateral Trading System with clear, transparent and predictable rules which 
are both fair and equitable will contribute to the development of all Members. That is why we 
consider that the work ahead is very important; that is the work requires us to make progress in areas such as agriculture, and here we fully support the statement made by the new Ambassador 
from Australia on behalf of the CAIRNS Group.  
 Mr. Chairman, the challenges are enormous but not impossible. These 84 days we have between now and the Bali Ministerial, as you said in your opening remarks, must be days of intensive 
negotiations in the three pillars: agriculture, development, and trade facilitation. We also agree WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  with the Director-General when he said that time is shrinking. There is less and less of it. That is 
why we appeal to all Members of the Organizati o n  t o  e n g a g e  i n  a  c o n s t r u c t i v e ,  f l e x i b l e ,  a n d  
decided fashion if we do indeed want to hold a successful Ministerial conference in Bali. In this vain, my delegation is ready to contribute in a positive way to the process and to the hard work 
that you as Director-General have before you. 
 49. Guatemala  
 
On behalf of my country, Guatemala, we would like to take this opportunity to associate ourselves with the congratulations and words of welcome ex tended to Roberto Azevêdo, the new Director-
General of this new Organization. As a country, we recognize the diplomatic and professional 
qualities of Mr Azevêdo and we are convinced that his work as Director-General will contribute in a 
decisive way to strengthening the Multilateral Trading System.   
Guatemala is a developing country. Even though it is a small country, it is really fully involved in 
the Multilateral Trading System. This can be seen in our participation in different negotiating coalitions as well as in the resorting we have to the Dispute Settlement System regularly. We have 
witnessed that rules and procedures at the WTO do offer legal stability to relations in international 
trade which is so necessary if we are to promote development; economic growth; and, hence, protectionism. That is why we listened to the vision speech by the Director-General with a great deal of enthusiasm and we really would like to say that we really support him in his endeavours. 
We have a lot of challenges to overcome if we are to fulfil the Doha Round of negotiations and also 
if we want to continue strengthening the WTO. B u t ,  w e  d o  h a v e  a n  o p p o r t u n i t y  t o  e r a d i c a t e  
poverty through these negotiations.  
 
As a small country, we have a very high expectation at the Ministerial Conference in Bali and with the hope of a successful conclusion of the Doha Round, we will have to focus pragmatically on the 
different problems. We are quite clear that Roberto Azevêdo will play a very instrumental role here 
and therefore, we fully support  him in his future work.  
 50. Pakistan  
 
My delegation would like to join others in congratulating Mr. Roberto Azevêdo on taking over as the new Director General of this house.  
 
R o b e r t o ,  w e  h a v e  a l w a y s  r e c o g n i s e d  t h e  c l a r i t y  o f  your vision, and your ability of constructive 
engagement in balancing diverse interests. We are confident that your leadership will continue to 
cement our proud tradition of working together for common good in a transparent and inclusive 
manner.   We would also like to welcome the members of your team including the Deputy Directors-General 
and the Chef de Cabinet.  We have a team of able and committed individuals who know this house 
well. Our profound appreciation also goes to  the outgoing DDGs and the Chef de Cabinet. 
 
Chair, we are confident that the new DG and his team will successfully steer this house through 
the challenges ahead, especially the Bali Minister ial and beyond. For the Bali Ministerial all of us 
bear the collective responsibility of making it a success. We have a lot of ground to cover in just 
over 10 weeks. The three Bali deliverables of S&D/LDC issues, agriculture and trade facilitation are 
co-extensive, and therefore achieving a balance ac ross these three areas is realistic and doable. 
We therefore, urge all membership to adopt a more flexible and positive approach for achieving consensus. This is the time to move from further technical discussion to a problem solving 
engagement so as not to lose the positive momentum. 
 We also emphasize the need for a balanced approach in negotiations particularly taking into 
consideration the needs of the developing countries and the LDCs. Equal importance should be 
accorded to both sections of the TF agreement and similar flexibility is required by both developed and developing countries in agriculture.  
Looking ahead, while concluding the Bali package, our eyes must also be in crafting a post Bali 
agenda of work for the Doha Round.  WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  Before closing, my delegation would like to pay homage to Renato Ruggiero, whose tireless energy 
and dedication to this house and to multilateralism, set this house on a firm foundation. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.  
51. Cameroon  
 My delegation would like to welcome the new Director General, Ambassador Azevêdo, and his 
team. At the same time, I would like to commend  the work of his predecessor and the preceding 
team, who received a well-deserved tribute earlier on.  While endorsing the statements made by the Af rican Group, the ACP Group and the Informal 
Group of Developing Countries, my delegation would also like to congratulate the Director General 
for the strong statement he made this morning in which he described his vision of the work to be done under his mandate. We were treated to a comprehensive vision, which covered the work of 
the Secretariat, the Doha process, and the day to  day functioning of our Organization. Method was 
also given a prominent place.  
Mr Director General, since your statement reiterated and built on the statement you made during 
your hearing in this very room, which, incident ally, was approved by my country, my delegation 
has no trouble endorsing your vision, and prom ises to support any efforts to move forward 
towards achieving outcomes that meet the expectations of Members. 
 
You have placed the success of the forthcoming Ministerial Conference at the top of your list of priorities, and indeed, several delegations have stressed how important and urgent it is for us to 
reach an agreement on that occasion. Most delega tions appear to be aware of this. Perhaps we 
should review the way in which we take account of  the interests of the delegations that ardently 
wish to be part of that agreement. 
 
But looking beyond, though it may not be possible to be precise at this point, Members might appreciate greater visibility with respect to the post Bali agenda.  
My delegation will remain constructive, as it did during the negotiating process leading to the 
Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas in December 2009, and will have no trouble supporting any steps towards a balanced agreement that reflects the concerns of all Members. 
 
52. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela   
Mr. Chairman, a few days ago, I arrived in Gene va to represent the Bolivarian Republic of 
Venezuela before the WTO. We will defend the visi on our country has on international trade and on 
rules underpinning such international trade. We would work in a constructive way with you, of course Mr. Chairman, and with the new Director-G eneral. And, we would li ke to welcome him on 
this occasion. 
 We have heard today the vision speech delivered by the Director-General. He has stressed 
amongst many aspects the fact that developing countries are faced today with new difficulties 
because of the economic and financial crisis. This crisis quite clearly has triggered more poverty, more unemployment, and more inequality. Despite what was achieved after the war in developed 
countries, they are also feeling this crisis. Because of this, poverty, misery, unemployment, and 
inequality are growing and it is within this context that WTO has to act so as to fulfil the development objectives of the Millennium and to en sure a fairer international trade relations based 
on solidarity. We think it is particularly important to see the commitment taken on by the Director-
General who has indeed committed to working in favour of all countries on a transparent and 
inclusive manner. We would like to pay tribute to this commitment and Venezuela does feel represented by a diplomat from Brazil, Mr Azevêd o, who has a long diplomatic career, who knows 
better than anyone all these issues. And, I think that we have an exceptional Latin American who 
will do an excellent work at the helm of this Organization.   
We in Venezuela believe that we have to enhance the Multilateral Trading System based on 
principles of complementarity, co-operation, which aim at seeking social fairness in the world. The 
New Director-General, with the support of Venezuela, will, I'm sure, will be successful in the future. We would like to extend a warm welcome to  you, Roberto Azevêdo, coming from a friendly 
country that is Brazil. WT/GC/M/147 
 
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53. United Kingdom   Ambassador Pangratis has spoken for the European Union about our strong support for an 
agreement on MC9. As Chair of the G-8, I wanted, in addition, to recall the G-8 Summit pledge 
that we stand ready to provide within our aid for trade commitments, substantial technical assistance and capacity building to help implement the trade facilitation deal and in particular, to 
help LDCs. As my Prime Minister David Cameron said in the G-20 Summit last week, trade is the 
most important engine for growth and we support the new Director-General 110% as he pursues an agreement for Bali. My Trade Minister has the honour of being Vice-Chair at Bali and he looks forward to working with the Indonesian  Chair and his fellow Vice-Chairs.  
 
54. Algeria (Observer)   
The Delegation of Algeria would like to associate itself with the statements made by the African 
Group, the Arab Group, and the Informal Grou p of Developing Countries to extend a warm 
welcome to Mr Roberto Azevêdo following his appointment as Director-General of the World Trade 
Organization. We are very happy to see you at this post and not only because we know you and 
we have a lot respect for you, but also because you do represent as a person all developing countries. We trust that with your experience and with your vision of issues dealt within this Organization, a new breath will be given to this Organization at a very decisive time. My country is 
fully aware of your determination to make the Bali Ministerial Conference a success and we can 
promise you that we will fully support you in this task and also give you full support in all the tasks awaiting you during your mandate. Indeed, Bali  is approaching in a short-term however other 
issues do deserve particular attention by Members of  this Organization. For Algeria, accession is of 
paramount importance and we do count on your support, on your advice, and on your mediation to speed up our accession process to the WTO. And finally, please allow me to once again warmly 
congratulate you on behalf of the High Authorities of my country and we wish you full success in 
your mission.   55. Seychelles (Observer)  
 
Seychelles would like to associate itself with statements made on behalf of the African Group and ACP. Seychelles wishes to covey its sincere congratulations to Director General Roberto Azevêdo 
on his election as the sixth Director-General of the WTO and we are confident that given his past 
experience, him and his team will guide the Organisation to function in its most efficient manner.  
Mr Director-General, Seychelles would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm the great 
importance of accessions to the WTO to increase  Membership and include an even more global 
representation in the organisation. Seychelles would also like to appeal to all Member States to give their utmost support to acceding Members so as to achieve this.  Let me reassure you of 
Seychelles commitment and readiness to become a Member of the WTO and to work closely with 
the Secretariat and Member States to ensure the objective of the Organisation is realised.   
Seychelles has the honour to wish you and your team a successful and enjoyable term in office. 
 56. Yemen (Observer)  
 
Thank you Mr. Chairman for giving my delegation the floor to also share our sincere welcome to Mr. Roberto Azevêdo as a new WTO Director General, and most importantly to wish him the best 
in leading WTO successfully in the weeks and years to come.   
 
Equally, my delegation would like to associate with the statements made by delegations of Egypt and Nepal on behalf of the Arab and LDC groups, who eloquently clarified some priorities for the 
way-forward including MC9.  
 Yemen eleventh and final accession Working Party meeting is scheduled for the afternoon of 26 
September, with a view to adopting its accessio n documents package, namely the draft WP report, 
draft schedule of concessions and commitments  on Goods and draft schedule of specific 
commitments in Services.   WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  At this juncture, my delegation extends its sincere gratitude to WTO Membership for the 
anticipated upcoming positive consensus decision to invite Yemen to become the new WTO Member of this august house.   
Last and equally useful, Yemen delegation is looking forward to advance forward on the seating 
arrangement and speaking list in this and other WTO eminent bodies, accordingly.  
57. Bahamas (Observer)  
 The Bahamas would like to thank the General Council for the opportunity to address the World Trade Organization on this great day of succession. 
 
The Bahamas would wish to welcome His Excellency Roberto Azevêdo to his new role in Geneva. I am sure the people of Brazil are very proud of you and I am sure the Group of Latin American and 
Caribbean States are proud to see a son of the soil making an impact in the world. 
 Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, The Bahamas t oo is in a new role in Geneva. When the Right 
Honourable Prime Minister named Her Excellency Rhoda Jackson to the role of Permanent 
Representative and Ambassador, he specifically spoke to her role as Ambassador for Trade. When she assumed her duties, through her presentation to the United Nations Director-General on 21 May 2013, the now established Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the 
United Nations and other International Organizations wasted no time engaging this organization on 
concluding its accession process.  
The Bahamas has been seeking accession to this organization from 2001. Successive governments 
have made trade an integral part of the development policy for the country. Our biggest industries remain tourism and financial services, both of which are owned by local and foreign entities, 
boasting many banks and hotel products. As a Smal l Island Developing State, we are consistently 
faced with the high cost of institutional changes, however Mr. Director-General, we thank your organization for your consistent offer of technical assistance.  
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Members, The Bahamas has a great desire to work with all of 
the countries in this organization. We are a country that believes in the importance of international trade. The Bahamas is seeking re-election to the Council of the International Maritime Organization 
(IMO) in Category ‘C’, this year, to ensure the sa fety, security and prosperity of the international 
trade, which transpires on thousands of ships that fly her flag, every day.  
The people of The Bahamas have been trading internationally, with countries of every continent, 
for hundreds of years. The decision to accede to  the World Trade Organization seems to be one 
that the fates decided long before we were able to conc eive it. As we speak today, my Government 
is making a consistent effort to reform taxes for the country. 
There will be an introduction a value-added ta x (VAT) system, while concurrently lowering a 
magnitude of the country’s tariff lines. VAT is a norm in the developed world and The Bahamas would wish to one-day be in such a prestigious position. 
 
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Members The Bahamas looks forward to the next Ministerial 
Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, where I am sure the Mi nister of Financial Services, with responsibility 
for international trade, will engage all of your countries, hoping to conclude this accession process 
in the next year.  On behalf of Prime Minister, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, along with my 
Excellent Ambassador and all of the people of Th e Bahamas, we wish to welcome you, Excellency 
Azevêdo, to your new role and may God be with you on your journey.  
58. Kazakhstan (Observer) 
 I would like to sincerely congratulate Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo at the beginning of his term as 
the Director-General of the World Trade Organizati on and wish him every success in this important 
and challenging job. Congratulations and best wi shes as well to the excellent team of the new 
office of the DG led by the Chef du Cabinet, Ambassador Tim Yeend, and to the newly appointed 
Deputy Directors-General. We would also like to  express our gratitude to the outgoing Deputies WT/GC/M/147 
 
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  DG, Mrs. Rugwabiza, Mr. Singh, Mr. Yerxa, and espe cially to Ambassador Alejandro Jara for his full 
support for Kazakhstan in its WTO Accession, and wish them well in their future assignments.   Using this opportunity, I would like to confirm the commitment of the Government of Kazakhstan 
and the highest priority it puts to integration to  the Multilateral Trading System. We are confident 
and hopeful that with the support and constructive approach of the Membership, and with the support of the Secretariat under the able leader ship of the Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, 
Kazakhstan will accede to the WTO in the nearest future. 
 
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