WT/MIN(17)/ST/40  
 
13 December 2017  
(17-6925) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR  MATTHIAS MACHNIG  
TRADE MINISTER  
GERMANY  
Let me start by thanking Argentina for its wonderful hospitality – and for having organised this 
important conference.  
 
The WTO Ministerial Conference takes place in Latin America for the first time. In my view, this is 
not a coincidence. This continent has come a very long way, and it continues to move. And the 
same is true for the WTO.  
 
Our multilateral trading system stands for open markets and non -discriminatory trade. This is 
beneficial to all of our countries:  
 
Free and rules -based trade ensures economic growth and jobs in industrialized, emerging and 
developing countries alike. And thereby, free and rules -based trade cont ributes to peaceful 
relationships between our  countries.  
 
It is no coincidence that the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was agreed in 1947. 
The economic crisis of the 1930s and the following devastating Second World War had made the 
need for international cooperation and a global governance system for the world market very 
clear.  
 
When the WTO was founded in 1995, this was based on a common spirit of ensuring peace and 
economic welfare to the benefit of all of its members.  
 
Since the financia l crisis in 2008, protectionism has been on the rise. But it is the wrong path. 
We believe that the path today must be again:  International cooperation and a strong global 
governance system. Indeed, without the WTO, the temptation to resort to protectionis t methods 
would have been much stronger.  
 
In particular we believe in the rule of law. Strong global governance requires rules which can be 
enforced and sanctioned.  
 
The WTO disposes of a credible and efficient dispute settlement mechanism which is unique for 
International Organizations. All WTO Members, including least developed countries, developing 
countries and countries with economies in transition have equal access to the dispute settlement 
mechanism. This is a real asset which we should cheris h and strengthen.  
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me recall the G20 Leaders’ commitment during the Hamburg Summit 
this July:   
 
"We underline the crucial role of the rules -based international trading system. (…)  
 
We commit to work together with all WTO members to make the eleventh WTO Ministerial 
Conference a success."  
 
The success of MC 11 will require a serious effort by all of us.  
 WT/MIN(17)/ST/40  
 
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  We have laid the necessary groundwork in intense technical negotiations during the past weeks. 
Now we need the political will t o find consensus.  
 
The procedural rule that agreement should only be reached by consensus gives comfort to all of 
us. It ensures that all member countries have an equal say in the decision -making process, 
regardless of their economic power. But it also en tails a responsibility for each and every member 
of the WTO:  
 
All of us will need to show a spirit of compromise and flexibility in order to reach consensus.  
 
The Preamble of the Marrakesh Agreement –by which the WTO was founded – calls for "positive 
efforts designed to ensure that developing countries, and especially the least developed among 
them secure a share in the growth of international trade".  It also calls for "mutually advantageous 
arrangements".  We stand ready to fill these principles with life  and call on all WTO members to do 
the same.  
 
At the end of the day, I hope to see : 
 
 First, progress in the Doha issues;  
 Second, progress in addressing new relevant issues for trade in the WTO like e -commerce 
and transparency.  
 
Regarding e -commerce, in p articular, we must face today’s reality: Digital trade and technology 
have triggered a profound transformation of economic and trade structures. When it comes to 
international governance instruments to address this global development, the WTO can and shoul d 
make a contribution.  
 
Let me also recall that this year, under German Presidency, G20 Members agreed to "engage 
constructively in WTO discussions relating to E -commerce with the WTO’s 11th Ministerial 
Conference (MC11) in mind."  
 
This Conference offers many opportunities.  So let me conclude by citing Pope Francis, who used to 
be the Archbishop of this beautiful city: "If we start without confidence, we have already lost half 
the battle."  
 
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