WT/MIN(17)/ST/35  
 
13 December 2017  
(17-6921) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY MS. BERNADETTE GIERL INGER  
VICE MINISTER FOR FO REIGN ECONOMIC POLIC Y AND  
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION  
AUSTRIA  
First and foremost, let me thank the government of Argentina and Minister Susana Malcorra for 
hosting the eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference and for welcoming us to the beautiful city of 
Buenos Aires. I would also like to congratulate WTO Director General  Roberto Azevêdo and his able 
team for their tireless efforts in preparing this meeting.  
 
The circumstances surrounding this Ministerial Conference have certainly been challenging as the 
political landscape is changing. What we thought to be self - evident for years might not in fact be 
guaranteed anymore in future. Let me just point out three important aspects for our work ahead, 
here in Buenos Aires and beyond:  
  
Firstly, the centrality of a rules -based, multilateral trading system, including the enforceab ility of 
trade rules through a strong dispute settlement, served us well in the past 20 years and has to be 
preserved in future. International organizations are member –driven organisms; their 
accomplishments, their efficiency and also their relevance depen d on their member’s willingness to 
achieve results, to compromise and to cooperate. In this light it is unfair and wrong to accuse the 
organization for some perceived shortcomings; on the contrary, it is the members who should be 
blamed. Our WTO is far fro m being perfect, but good enough to fight for. If WTO did not exist 
already, we might have to invent it.      
 
Secondly, a consensual Ministerial Declaration, negotiated results and a game plan for the future 
are the ingredients for a successful Ministeria l Conference we got used to by the successes in Bali 
and Nairobi.  
 
This time however, as of today, it seems to be widely unclear if any of these components will 
materialize. They might or they might not . To leave Buenos Aires empty handed would clearly 
imply from the Austrian (and also European) perspective a missed opportunity. Instead, we still 
have the chance to make the best out of this difficult situation, to agree inter alia  on a first 
installment on bans of fisheries subsidies and on a permanent sol ution for public stockholding.   
 
Furthermore, we should open our minds to deal with 21th centuries issues like e -Commerce, 
investment facilitation and measures in favor of small and medium sized enterprises.  
 
Thirdly, let me turn to an issue which has bee n dominating and overshadowing the preparatory 
negotiations in Geneva, namely the debate on special and differential treatment and, in a broader 
context, on the relation between trade and development. Austria welcomes and acknowledges the 
role many develop ing countries attach to trade in their development strategies. Indeed, their 
better and deeper integration in world trade and continuous efforts to develop a stronger 
participation in the global value chains can contribute to economic growth, sustainable j obs and 
stable incomes. To prove this economic theory, we have witnessed a perfect example in the last 
year, the entering into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement which will benefit every member 
of this organization and in particular the developing w orld. This agreement, by the way, also 
contained a new, active and favorable approach to Special and Differential Treatment. Going into 
the completely opposite direction and to seek broad and far reaching exemptions from existing WT/MIN(17)/ST/35  
 
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  WTO agreements could only be an option when dealing with very specific problems on a temporary 
basis.  
 
Already since 2002, Austria has been a regular contributor to the Doha Global Trust Fund and is 
ready to continue this support as a commitment to helping developing countries exp and their trade 
capacities and integrate into regional and global value chains. In this context, I am happy to 
announce that a further contribution will be transferred to the WTO in the coming days.  
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, to sum up, in two days we will have to show a result of our deliberations to 
the world. Trade is not the most popular issue for the media and many "opinion leaders "; they 
have been looking at us in a very skeptical and critical way. T herefore, we have to demonstrate 
that we are united and willing to support the multilateral trading system, to defend the work in all 
areas of the WTO and to expand our trade rules in future. And we should also use the remaining 
time to rebuild trust, conf idence and cooperation among ourselves to facilitate the task for our 
negotiators when they restart their work in Geneva in the New Year. Our main task at hand in the 
next hours of course is to work towards a good result in Buenos Aires.  
 
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