WT/MIN(17)/ST/65  
 
15 December 2017  
(17-6994) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY HON. MR. JABULANI CL EMENT MABUZA  
MINISTER OF COMMERCE , INDUSTRY AND TRADE  
SWAZILAND  
My delegation wishes to express our full support and solidarity for the success of this Conference, 
particularly in coming up with a Declaration which encompasses the needs and interests of both 
developed and developing members without undermining the mandates enshrined in the 
agreements of our organisation. We also wish to underscore that th e MC11 process must be 
transparent, inclusive and consensus -based.  
 
My delegation wishes to associate itself with the statements made by the African and ACP Groups 
in reaffirming the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), and the Declarations and Decisions adopted  
at Doha and in subsequent Ministerial Conferences. It is deeply regrettable that there has been a 
lack of meaningful progress in the DDA negotiations yet the DDA framework under which this 
round of negotiations was established is fundamental to most devel oping countries, more 
especially the most vulnerable amongst this group.  
 
My delegation strongly underscores the centrality of development in the work of the WTO and 
stands firmly behind the objectives, principles and mandates under which the DDA agenda w as 
launched; hence, therefore, we reiterate our full commitment to the conclusion of the DDA 
negotiations on these bases. The principles of less than Full Reciprocity, Special and Differential 
Treatment (S&DT) for Developing Countries, in particular for th e Least -Developed Countries 
(LDCs), Small and Vulnerable economies (SVEs), and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries 
(NFIDCs), remains key for Swaziland. In this regard, Swaziland stresses the importance of 
protecting and building on progress achieved so  far in the DDA negotiations, especially the 
preservation of flexibilities so far stabilized across the spectrum in Agriculture, NAMA and in 
Services for these special groups . Continuation of the work done in Nairobi could take us far and 
enable us conclud e the key issues.  
 
I would also like to indicate that the Agricultural sector is extremely important to Swaziland in 
terms of exports as well as food security, employment creation and poverty alleviation. There are 
a lot of reforms which need to be done in  Agricultural trade in order to reduce and correct the 
significant distortions. During this Ministerial conference my delegation would have wished to see a 
tangible outcome on Agriculture encompassing all the important elements including particularly 
Domes tic Support for elimination of all forms of trade distorting subsidies. These trade distorting 
subsidies do not only create an unfair competition at the international market but also negatively 
impact on employment and sustainable development in developing  countries.  
 
Furthermore, my delegation would like to emphasise the importance of having a fair, rules -based 
and equitable Multilateral Trading System as enshrined in the Marrakesh Agreement. T he WTO 
needs to ensure that its rules, on a priority basis, ena ble, and do not inhibit, least -developed 
countries and developing countries from pursuing policies to achieve industrialization, structural 
transformation and diversification of their economies in order to raise the standard of living of their 
population a nd integrate into the multilateral trading system on a sustainable basis.  
 
In conclusion, we call for the full operationalization of the mandate of the Committee on Trade and 
Development as a focal point for development issues, as well as an enhancement of  the 
development aspects in the WTO’s regular work programme beyond MC11 in order to fast -track 
and conclude the DDA. Lastly, my delegation would like to emphasise that bringing in new issues WT/MIN(17)/ST/65  
 
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  in the agenda, such as E -Commerce, Investment Facilitation and M icro, Small and Medium 
Enterprises (MSMEs) for substantive decisions at this conference is premature.  
 
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