WT/MIN(13)/ST/105  
30 January 2014  
(14-0518)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: French  
 
  STATEMENT BY H.E. MR JEAN LOUIS BILLON 
MINISTER OF COMMERCE, CRAFTS AND SME PROMOTION 
CÔTE D'IVOIRE 
The Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference provides the Government of Côte d'Ivoire with an ideal 
opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the multilateral trading system and its faith in the World Trade Organization, whose reputation and future hinge on achieving success in Bali. 
Côte d'Ivoire accordingly wishes to begin by voicing its sincere hope and strong determination 
to see the negotiations on the Bali package come to a conclusion at this Conference. 
In other words, we want an agreement, here and now. The global environment is becoming increasingly characterized by the opening 
up of variable-geometry markets and dominated by a strong tendency to establish free trade 
zones spanning continents, which have the potent ial to further marginalize developing economies 
and create more complex non-tariff barriers. It th erefore seems more vital than ever to restore 
primacy and priority to multilateralism, so as to secure an overall balance in terms of economic 
governance and market access. 
With this in mind, Côte d'Ivoire reiterates its preference for a consensus-based approach 
to decision making. Indeed, consensus allows weaker economies to contribute more effectively 
to developing the rules of the multilateral trading system. 
Côte d'Ivoire remains committed to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). In this context, all the agreed issues should be given the same attention and level of ambition, 
as specified in the Doha Declaration of November 2001. This should be the case for Agriculture, 
Services and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which have been part of the negotiating mandate since November 2001. 
Côte d'Ivoire welcomes the significant progress th at has already been made with the Bali package 
and strongly recommends that these gains be consolidated. 
In this regard, the cotton issue requires particular attention, given its importance for the 
economies of developing countries in general and of African countries in particular. We therefore 
urgently need to find a definitive solution to the issue, based on the fund of experience contained 
in the draft modalities on agriculture of 6 December 2008 and in accordance with the Hong Kong mandate of December 2005, in order to alleviate, once and for all, the concerns of the C4 
and all African cotton growers. WT/MIN(13)/ST/105 
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  For Côte d'Ivoire, the development dimension, which is anchored in the notion of special 
and differential treatment, should be an integral part of all WTO Agreements and the relevant provisions should be made more binding, more operational and more effective, in accordance with the letter and spirit of paragraph 44 of the Doha mandate. 
Côte d'Ivoire thus welcomes the positive outcome of the negotiations on the introduction 
of a monitoring mechanism aimed at strengthening and operationalizing special and differential treatment provisions, in order to ensure enhanced participation of the least developed countries 
(LDCs) and developing countries in international trade. 
This is in fact the whole purpose of Section II of the draft Trade Facilitation Agreement, on which 
w e  h a v e  a l s o  r e a c h e d  a n  u n d e r s t a n d i n g .  W e  t h e r e f o r e  f u l l y  s u p p o r t  t h i s  d r a f t  t e x t  o n  t r a d e  facilitation, which is flexible and sufficiently balanced across the board. 
Continued efforts to efficiently implement the Aid for Trade initiative could also provide 
an appropriate solution to the supply-side constraints and value chain issues faced by the developing countries and LDCs. 
Given the objectives of this development round, it is necessary, moreover, to expand technical 
and financial assistance programmes aimed at building capacity in post-crisis countries which are facing enormous economic and commercial challenges. 
Since the repeated delays in concluding the DDA negotiations have had negative repercussions for 
the economies of developing countries and least developed countries, it is essential that we now define a post-Bali roadmap, involving politicians in the negotiating process, in order to bring this round to a swift conclusion. 
The negotiations aimed at reaching a mutually advantageous and satisfactory conclusion of the 
Doha Round within a reasonable time-frame, while ensuring that the development dimension remains a central element, must proceed within a multilateral, inclusive and transparent 
framework based on a bottom-up approach. 
All the conditions needed for an agreement have been met. Once again, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, like its ECOWAS partners, wants this agreement to take 
place in Bali. 
The post-Bali roadmap will be clearer and all improvements will be possible. Our countries need more and better trade. It is crucial that everyone participate and engage in this process. 
 
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