WT/MIN(13)/ST/7  
4 December 2013  
(13-6643)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: Spanish  
 
 STATEMENT BY H.E. MS MAGALI SILVA VELARDE-ÁLVAREZ 
MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE AND TOURISM 
PERU 
Peru bears testimony to the benefits of trade liberalization and facilitation, of maintaining an open 
economy, and of mainstreaming trade into its national development strategies. Trade is a tool for social inclusion, poverty reduction, and the crea tion of jobs and promotion of general welfare, 
particularly among the most needy and the most vulnerable. 
 
Indeed, for many years now, Peru's economic growth has been remarkable. In spite of the international economic crisis, real GDP has continued to grow at an average annual rate 
of close to 7%. Private investment flows doubled, foreign direct investment quadrupled and, 
more importantly, thanks to its policies, poverty fell by almost half, from 42% to 25%. As a result, Peru is one of the countries of Latin America that has gone furthest towards attaining the 
Millennium Development Goals before the deadline. 
 The opening up of trade has been fundamental to  this positive performance. Between 2007 and 
2012, goods exports grew by 62.4%, and services  exports by 62.8%. Exports of value added 
goods increased by 75%.  
 In the light of its own experience, Peru reaffirms at this Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference its 
commitment to the multilateral trading system, which plays a fundamental role in international 
trade flows and forms the basis for an extensive network of regional trade agreements, of which 
Peru currently has a total of 17, involving more than 50 countries. 
 
As regards the Doha Round, Peru's position has always been constructive and its approach ambitious in all areas. Aware that this round of negotiations had a reached a delicate juncture, Peru has shown flexibility by supporting the approval in Bali of an early harvest that would restore 
confidence and revive the WTO's negotiating function. 
 This is where the value of the Bali package lies. 
 
Each one of the elements of this package refl ects a delicate balance of the interests of all 
Members. More importantly, however, the Bali pa ckage paves the way for further progress on the 
Doha Round – in other words, on a post-Bali agenda which includes the reforms that we have so 
needed for the past 12 years. As far as Peru is concerned, this should include, inter alia , the patent 
protection of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; elimination of fisheries subsidies that lead to overfishing and excess capacity; the liberalization of tropical products; 
and greater commitments on the movement of persons for the provision of services. 
 The evidence has convinced Peru that this deve lopment model, with the opening up of trade 
and emphasis on social inclusion, will enable it to enter a virtuous circle of steady growth.  
 We are progressing in that direction on the domest ic front, but we need clear and predictable rules 
at the international level and, in particular, a multilateral trading system that sustains our trade 
p o l i c y .  W e  s h o u l d  n o t  g i v e  u p  o u r  e f f o r t s .  W e  a r e  v e r y  c l o s e  t o  a c h i e v i n g  t h i s  t h a n k s  t o  t h e  inclusive and transparent working methods of Dire ctor-General Roberto Azevêdo, whom we thank 
for his invaluable efforts over the past months. That we are very close to achieving this was also 
confirmed by the Chairman of the Conference, Mini ster Gita, in whose leadership we have full WT/MIN(13)/ST/7 
 
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  confidence. Our common objective should remain the strengthening of the WTO as a cornerstone 
of international trade – but that will only be po ssible if there is genuine political commitment 
at this Conference.  
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