WT/GC/212  
 
5 May 2020  
(20-3434) Page: 1/2 
General Council  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT ON COVID -19 AND THE MULTILATER AL TRADING SYSTEM  BY MINISTERS 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WTO FROM AFGHANISTAN; AUSTRAL IA; BARBADOS; BENIN;  
CAMBODIA; CANADA; CH ILE; COLOMBIA; COSTA  RICA; ECUADOR; EL S ALVADOR; 
GUATEMALA; GUYANA; H ONG KONG, CHINA; ICELAND ; ISRAEL; JAMAICA; J APAN; 
KENYA; REPUBLIC OF K OREA; THE STATE OF K UWAIT; LIECHTENSTEIN ; 
MADAGASCAR;  MAURITIUS; MEXICO; R EPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA;  MONTENEGRO;  
NEPAL;  NEW ZEALAND; NIGERIA ; NORTH MACEDONIA;  NORWAY;  PERU;  
SAINT LUCIA; KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA; SINGAP ORE;  
SOLOMON ISLANDS; SWI TZERLAND; UKRAINE;  
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ; UNITED KINGDOM AND URUGUAY  
The following joint ministerial statement , dated 5 May 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Switzerland.  
 
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1.1.  The spread of COVID -19 has led to a devastating human tragedy and responding to this global 
health crisis remains a priority of our respective governments. Our focus continues to be on efforts 
to protect human life. Now more than ever is the time fo r the international community to step up 
cooperation and coordination.  
1.2.  As Ministers responsible for the WTO, we are actively working to ensure the continued flow of 
vital medical supplies and other essential goods and services across borders during this he alth crisis. 
The WTO has an essential role to play in this regard. We stress that trade restrictive emergency 
measures aimed at protecting health, if deemed necessary, shall be targeted, proportionate, 
transparent and temporary, not create unnecessary barr iers to trade or disruption to global supply 
chains, and be consistent with WTO rules. We pledge to lift any such measures as soon as possible.  
1.3.  We underscore the importance of maintaining well -functioning supply chains in order to deploy 
international reso urces more effectively and call for intensified cooperation between the WTO and 
other international organizations in support of a coherent response to this and future health crises.  
1.4.  We encourage work at the WTO on concrete actions aimed at facilitating cro ss-border flows of 
vital medical supplies and other essential goods and services, including through the application of 
best practices and simplified procedures and through further trade opening.  
1.5.  We also stress the necessity of maintaining agriculture suppl y chains and preserving Members ' 
food security. We, therefore, pledge to not impose export restrictions and to refrain from 
implementing unjustified trade barriers on agricultural and food products in response to the  
COVID -19 pandemic.   
1.6.  We support the vi tal role of the WTO as it monitors trade -related measures implemented by 
WTO Members in response to the COVID -19 situation, and we encourage Members to continue 
notifying the WTO of any such measures as far in advance as practicable.  
1.7.  We are also facing a global economic shock that will continue to require a coordinated 
international response. We recognize the enormous challenges that will be faced by developing 
Members and, in particular, least developed Members. We also note that the negative impact will be 
especially severe for micro, small and medium sized enterprises, and we will intensify our efforts to 
support their ability to make a contribution to economic recovery.  WT/GC/212  
 
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  1.8.  We support the full resumption of all WTO activities as soon as feasible. We will in tensify our 
efforts to develop new WTO disciplines, to improve existing WTO disciplines and to find a lasting 
solution to the situation relating to the WTO Appellate Body in order to support long-term, 
sustainable economic growth. We will also support cont inued efforts to reform the WTO so that it is 
as effective as possible.  
1.9.  A predictable, transparent, non -discriminatory and open global trading system will be essential 
for broad -based, sustainable economic recovery. We, therefore, strongly reaffirm our sup port for 
the rules -based multilateral trading system and the central role of the WTO. We will continue to act 
in a manner consistent with our WTO rights and obligations. We will refrain from raising new 
unjustified barriers to investment or to trade in goo ds and services.  
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