WT/MIN(15)/ST/52  
18 December 2015  
(15-6779)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: French  
 
  STATEMENT BY H.E. MR LUC-JOSEPH OKIO 
AMBASSADOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE 
CONGO 
On behalf of the Minister of Trade and Supplies of the Congo, who was unable to come to Nairobi 
owing to last-minute developments, allow me:  • first to convey warm and fraternal congratulati ons from the President of the Republic of the 
Congo, His Excellency Denis Sassou Nguesso, to His Excellency Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, 
President of the Republic of Kenya, who has graced the opening of the Tenth WTO Ministerial Conference with his presence and whose message offers much guidance for the conduct of 
our deliberations; 
 • also to thank the Government and people of Kenya for the warm reception extended to the 
Congolese delegation and for the facilities provided. 
 The Congolese delegation endorses the statements  delivered by the groups of which it is a 
member, in particular the ACP Group, the African Group, the G-90 and the G-33. 
 
T h i s  C o n f e r e n c e  i s  t h e  f i r s t  t o  b e  h e l d  o n  A f rican soil in the 20 years of existence of our 
Organization, and comes a few days after the conclusion of the historic and multilateral agreement 
on climate change in Paris. 
 The agreement on climate, which was not expected at the opening of that Conference, renews our 
confidence in multilateralism which, as so well stated by His Excellency Mr Denis Sassou Nguesso, 
President of the Republic of the Congo, is the only framework in which the international community can find viable solutions to the challenges faci ng all humanity. This calls for two key things: 
 
The political will on the part of Member states and the search for compromise. 
 Our Organization operates on the basis of consensus and has in the past demonstrated its capacity 
to find compromises so as to strike delicate balances, as borne out by the outcomes of the 
previous Ministerial Conference at Bali.  
Resolving the uncertainties surrounding the Doha Development Agenda depends on the 
commitment of each and all of our delegations pres ent here. That is the conviction that the Congo 
would like to share with you.  
Developing countries have pinned their hopes to this programme, which was adopted 14 years ago 
with a view to enabling them to boost their econ omies and combat rising violence, insecurity and 
inequality, among other things. 
 
How could it be possible not to understand thes e existential needs of some Members of our 
Organization! 
 
Let us recall that in 2013 in Bali, we agreed to formulate a post-Bali work programme containing the outstanding issues of the Doha Development Ag enda (DDA). A time-frame had even been set, 
then subtly and owing to certain particularities, we drifted away from the consensus, thereby 
jeopardizing the credibility of our common organization. WT/MIN(15)/ST/52 
- 2 - 
   
It is crucially important for Members of the WTO to return to its original spirit, the guiding principle of which is development promotion through trade.  
The Congo reaffirms its commitment to the Doha Development Agenda and what is has achieved. 
The Congo remains convinced that trade is still a key driver of development and of structural transformation in developing and least developed economies. 
 
Against this backdrop, the Congo invites this Tenth Ministerial Conference to strive to keep development central to the current and future work  of the WTO by means of a bold and ambitious 
ministerial declaration that should crown our deliberations. 
 
Nairobi, this thriving city on African soil, should provide fresh momentum for realizing the Doha Development Agenda based on concrete and balanced results. Such is the wish of the 
Congolese Government. 
 The vitality of our Organization can also be gauged by its expanding Membership. 
 
The Congo therefore welcomes Liberia and Afghanistan as new Members.  I wish for every success in our deliberations. 
 
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