WT/MIN(24)/ ST/39  
26 February 2024  
(24-1575) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth  Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: Spanish  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. DR NICOLÁS ALBERTONI  
UNDER -SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS  
URUGUAY  
It is an honour for me to address all of you, and I wish to extend a special greeting to the authorities 
of the United Arab Emirates for organiz ing the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference.  
 
Uruguay has come to this Ministerial Conference with the hope that we will deliver outcomes that 
will help to strengthen the three pillars of the WTO as a forum for negotiation s, dispute settlement 
and transparency.  
 
Nevertheless , this optimism, together with Uruguay's continued support for this Organization, cannot 
cause us to lose sight of the context in which this Conference is taking place.  
  
In this connection , we find ourselves in a very different situation compared to when the  WTO came 
into being , at the end of the Round that began in Uruguay, when the post -1945 international 
economic order finally crystallized in this Organization , based on the idea that greater trade and 
economic ties among nations would lead  to greater interdependence, and that this would foster 
peace and shared prosperity.  
 
For most of the past 75  years, this idea has guided the work of the international organizations of 
which Uruguay is a founding member, help ing to lay the foundations for  an unprecedented era in 
terms of growth, higher standards of living and poverty reduction.  
 
In the same vein, a rule s-based multilateral trading system provides a predictable environment and 
is a key guarantee for developing trade links that contribute to  the growth of all participants, 
especially developing countries like Uruguay.  
 
However, it cannot be ignored that this system is going through a period of crisis, with actors who 
appear to be pursuing greater economic independence, rather than strengtheni ng their ties, by 
adopti ng unilateral measures that may hinder  the attainment of the objectives for which we have 
established organizations like the WTO.  
  
This crisis affects the WTO, and we see it in the ongoing impasse in  the Appellate Body, which means 
that the Organization has lost one of its most valuable functions : an effective dispute settlement 
system. The crisis is also reflected in the inadequate  levels of transparency, and proliferation of 
Members' trade concerns, which often remain unresolved . 
 
In this context, we should not be afraid to embark on a much -needed reform process, one aimed at 
ensuring that the WTO functions efficiently and effectively, addresses the interests and needs of all 
its Members , and is able to adapt to  the realities of today's world.  
 
Reform, however, begins at home: changing the rules and procedures that govern the regular work 
of this Organization will be of little use if we Members do not change ou r attitude and commit to 
making the system work.  
 
As for the crisis in the WTO's negotiating function, we need to tackle it by strengthening the 
multilateral trading system and, to this end, we must conclude the negotiations we entered into  
almost 30  years  ago. I am referring in particular to the continuation of the reform process under WT/MIN(24)/ ST/39  
 
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  Article  20 of the Agreement on Agriculture, specifically  the reduction of domestic support and the 
improvement of market access conditions. This is necessary to ensure econo mically, socially and 
environmentally sustainable food systems, and to contribute to global food security.  
 
We should be able to take a step forward in line with this mandate  at this Ministerial Conference , 
and to have reached  an agreement on it by the nex t Ministerial Conference.  
 
To revitalize the WTO's negotiating function, there is also a need to move forward and produce new 
agreements. Since its creation in 1995 to date, the WTO has produced only two multilateral 
agreements: the Trade Facilitation Agr eement, at the Ministerial Conference in 2013, and the 
Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, at the previous Ministerial Conference, in 2022. Today, Uruguay 
is depositing its instrument of acceptance with the hope that we can reach the necessary number of 
accessions for this Agreement – an example of how trade can contribute to environmental 
objectives  – to enter into force as soon as possible and contribute to the sustainability of the oceans. 
We also hope to move forward in the second phase of the Agreement o n Fisheries Subsidies, 
regarding  outstanding issues, to address global problems with global rules.  
 
Another of  the global challenges we face is climate change, and while the relationship between trade 
and environmental sustainability is complex and multidi mensional, the adoption of unilateral 
measures can lead to barriers to trade and give rise to greater obstacles that ultimately cause more 
harm. The comparative advantages of the best -performing countries in  terms of  sustainable food 
production  must be harnessed . In this regard, a strengthened WTO can play an important role in 
improving coherence between trade and environmental policies, and it can contribute to making 
trade more sustainable, thereby helping to achieve  the Sustainable Developmen t Goals , which we 
set ourselves almost 10  years ago.  
 
In short, Uruguay is calling for the WTO's three key pillars  to become fully operational once again : 
the negotiating function; the administration and monitoring of agreements, including transparency; 
and the dispute settlement system.  
  
Lastly, we welcome the progress made on the various joint initiatives, such as the trade and 
environment discussions in which Uruguay participates, as well as the positive outcomes achieved 
by the MSME Group. Uruguay also  attaches great importance to the progress made in  the 
negotiations on e -commerce and gender mainstreaming in a number of  areas.  
 
Furthermore, we note with keen interest  the conclusion of the negotiations on Investment Facilitation 
for Development. At a ti me when the global economy is facing the aforementioned challenges, it is 
crucial to promote an investment -friendly environment, especially in developing countries. At the 
WTO, we already know what we can achieve by working together, with the Trade Facilit ation 
Agreement, which entered into force in February  2017.  
 
To conclude, we hope that this new Ministerial Conference will present a strengthened, up -to-date 
WTO that will continue to work and achieve relevant outcomes for our countries and our people.  
 
For that, y ou can count on Uruguay's full commitment.  
 
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