WT/MIN(15)/ST/17  
18 December 2015  
(15-6726)  Page: 1/1  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY HON. DR ROB DAVIES 
MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY 
SOUTH AFRICA 
At the outset and on behalf of the South African delegation, I want to thank the Government of 
Kenya for generously hosting this 10th WTO Ministerial here in Nairobi, the first such conference to b e  h e l d  o n  o u r  m o t h e r  C o n t i n e n t .  W e  w e r e  v e ry encouraged by President Kenyatta’s keynote 
speech at the opening session of the conference yesterday, particularly in respect to his 
observations that Africa has prioritized industrialization and that Africa is on the path to deepening 
regional integration. He also underscored the importance of the Doha Round objective to reform agricultural trade by removing subsidies in develo ped countries that undermine Africa’s ability to 
compete in international markets.  
 Let me also confirm that South Africa fully associates itself with the statements made by the Africa 
Group, the ACP and the G90. 
 We welcome the accession of Liberia and Afghanistan to the WTO as a step towards the universality of the WTO Membership. 
 
South Africa reaffirms its commitment to the developmental mandate contained in the Doha Declaration of 2000. This established the important principle that we believe must inform all the 
work of the WTO now and into the future. This principle is found in the opening paragraphs of that 
Declaration that affirms that the needs and interests of developing countries, the majority of the membership, must be at the centre  of the WTO’s work programme.  
 
The Doha mandate also established that reform of agriculture would be prioritized as distortions here are among the biggest impediments negatively affecting livelihoods of poor communities in developing countries. We support the position that the level of ambition established in agricultural 
reform must set the ambition for other issues under negotiation. These principles and priorities 
must continue to shape our work and the post Nairobi work programme.  
Africa has defined a developmental trajectory for itself that involves moving away from its current 
insertion in the global trading system as a prod ucer and exporter of primary commodities and an 
importer of finished goods.  In this regard Africa, has defined a very clear agenda to move up the 
value chain and industrialise through an ambitious developmental integration programme that 
combines market integration alongside infrastructure development and cooperation to develop regional industrial value chains. This ambitious work programme is contained in Africa’s Agenda 2063 and can be recognized as Africa’s “mega-region al”, one constructed to meet Africa’s specific 
challenges and objectives. 
 Any outcome in Nairobi or in future in the WTO therefore must in our view support this vision and 
certainly, at a minimum not undermi ne or complicate its realization. African and other Developing 
Countries must be offered the necessary policy space to pursue their objectives of industrialization and transformation. 
 
South Africa remains committed to working constructively with other Members for a successful outcome in Nairobi. We support a small package that should prioritize issues of concern to LDCs, strengthened provisions of Special and Differen tial treatment and achieve an outcome on some 
agricultural issues as a stepping stone to further work on the DDA post MC10. 
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