WT/MIN(17)/ST/89  
 
4 January 2018  
(18-0050) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY MR. IMM ANUEL NGATJIZEKO  
MINISTER OF INDUSTRI ALIZATION, TRADE AND  SME DEVELOPMENT  
NAMIBIA  
This Ministerial Conference is taking place at a time of notable  global political and financial 
uncertainty, which has negatively affected business and job creation especially  in smaller 
economies. The Namibian economy has equally suffered a notable  decline in trade flows where 
prospects for growth are constrained by l ow demand and falling commodity prices because of the 
downturn in the international economy. To mitigate these challenges, Namibia remains committed 
to multilateralism as a way to promote equitable development, growth and prosperity for all WTO 
Members. As  such, we must remain committed to the DDA mandate, which at the core, aims to 
mould a multilateral trading system that should deliver on redressing imbalanced economic 
development across the WTO Members.  
 
We believe that for our economies to address soci o-economic challenges facing our countries such 
as poverty, hunger, disease, unemployment and migration, our efforts must lead to the creation of 
a fair, equitable multilateral trading system that enables developing countries to create 
opportunities for th eir people. In so doing, WTO must continue to recognize the different levels of 
economic development by its Members by allowing the necessary policy space flexibilities on policy 
space for developing countries to create opportunities for industrialization and diversification of 
their economies.  
 
Now, allow me to address the specific issues at the forefront of MC11:  
 
On E-commerce, Namibia aligns itself with the position of the African Group that has consistently 
emphasized the need to continue exploratory d iscussions under the current Work Programme. E -
Commerce is not part of the Doha mandate and sizeable group of developing countries do not 
possess the necessary capacity or confidence to engage on binding commitments at this stage.  
 
On Agriculture, it is im portant to highlight that Agriculture is the sector from which 70% of the 
Namibian population derive their livelihoods. Therefore, rules set at a multilateral level have the 
potential to create opportunities for our communities or condemn them to long last ing poverty. 
Namibia therefore aligns itself with the position of reducing trade distorting domestic support while 
allowing for the necessary policy space flexibilities for developing countries, particularly for Net -
Food Importing Developing Countries.  
 
On Special and Differential Treatment, it is important to indicate that without the application of 
this principle, it will be difficult to bridge the development gap between WTO Members. Namibia 
fully supports maintenance of the Special and Differential Tre atment principle, which is at the 
centre of the DDA for inclusive growth of developing countries.  
 
On Public Stockholding Holding, Namibia is one of those countries, which is extremely vulnerable 
to and negatively affected by climate change. We support th e call for developing countries to be 
accorded flexibility to support public stockholdings for food security reasons.    
 
On Fisheries subsidies, my country considers fish as a vital source of food, nutrition and foreign 
currency earnings . Namibia supports calls to discipline harmful fisheries subsidies which promote 
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing activities in our waters. At the same time, developing WT/MIN(17)/ST/89  
 
- 2 - 
 
  countries must also be allowed policy space to utilize their fishery resourc es for the benefit of their 
citizens.  
 
In conclusion, my delegation wishes to reiterate that the development dimension of the Doha 
Agenda must continue to be at the centre of the Doha Round. It is therefore imperative that the 
outcome of MC11 must be true  to the Doha mandate.  
 
__________