WT/MIN(17)/ST/29  
13 December  2017 
(17-6917) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
STATEMENT BY H.E.  MR AUGUSTO AROSEMENA  
MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY  
PANAMA  
We are grateful to the President of the Argentine Republic, His Excellency  Mauricio Macri, and to 
the Argentine people for their generous hospitality and outstanding attentiveness to all the 
delegations participating in this first Ministerial Conference to be held in a South American country . 
We also extend our deep gratitude to Her Excellency Susana Malco rra for the innumerable hours of 
dedicati on and work that she has put in to ensuring the success of the Eleventh Ministerial 
Conference . In addition, we thank the Director -General of the World Trade Organization, 
His Excellency Roberto Azevêdo and the Chair man of the General Council, His Excellency 
Xavier  Carim.  
 
The Republic of Panama reiterates its commitment to the multilateral trading system and 
recognizes the importance of the WTO to the growth of world trade in goods and services, and its 
contribution to the stability of the world economic order.  
 
In this connection, we highlight the importance of the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, and the amendment to the TRIPS Agreement on Public Health.  
 
Panama has a thriving service -oriented e conomy which is strongly aligned to the growth of world 
trade . Panama prioritizes the achievement of extensive progress in the services and agriculture 
negotiations through focusing on an integrated agenda . At the same time, we must step up our 
efforts to attain the goals that we Ministers have agreed on in order to ensure that we have a 
dynamic system of multilateral rules that promotes development for all Members . Such is our 
commitment to these topics that we have notified and adopted an important packag e of special 
and differential treatment for the least developed countries.  
 
We consider it necessary to seek consensus on reducing domestic support in agricultural 
production . In addition, we consider it necessary to continue recognizing the particular nee ds of 
the small and vulnerable economies, especially in the agriculture negotiations.  
 
At this Ministerial Conference, Panama has played an important role in the work on an equitable, 
effective and transparent proposal to establish disciplines on fisheries  subsidies . The proposal that 
has been sponsored is aimed at achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals within 
the time -limit prescribed by our Heads of State.  
 
Similarly, we stress the importance of other decisions that have to be taken at  this Ministerial 
Conference, such as the establishment of a work programme to tackle the main challenges faced 
by MSMEs in world trade and on the establishment of a forum at the WTO to discuss investment 
facilitation for development . We likewise think it necessary to extend the moratorium on 
non-violation cases under the TRIPS Agreement, provided that a substantive review of the issue is 
undertaken . We must find the political will to resume substantive work on electronic commerce 
and extend the customs dut y moratorium on electronic transmissions.  
 
We will also support the continued accession of new Members to the WTO, particularly the 
accession of least developed countries, and in this connection we hope that the formal meetings to 
be held by observer countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus and others in order to complete the 
accession process will be crowned with success.  WT/MIN(17)/ST/29  
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We also call on the original WTO Members to ensure that a level playing field is established in all 
negotiations with regard to commitme nts involving recently acceded countries.  
 
Finally, we trust that this Conference will produce substantive results enabling us to send a 
positive message to the world, one which demonstrates that the WTO is attuned to contemporary 
global needs and that it acts as a counterweight to the new protectionist currents in the realm of 
trade.  
 
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