WT/MIN(13)/ST/54  
5 December 2013  
(13-6710)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: Spanish  
 
  STATEMENT BY H.E. MR LUIS ALBERTO PORTO RIZZO 
VICE-CHANCELLOR – UNDER-SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS 
URUGUAY  
First of all, we would like to thank the people of Indonesia and the island of Bali, as well as their 
Government, for their hospitality. 
We also welcome the Republic of Ye men as a new Member of the WTO. 
Uruguay has a long-standing tradition of defending multilateralism in general and the 
multilateral trading system in particular. As a Member of the GATT since 1953, it has taken 
an active part in the system and in all the trade negotiation rounds. A sign of this commitment was the launching in Uruguay of the last major round of trade negotiations, 
which was successfully concluded. 
Market relations almost never exist in a context of free competition. Most of the markets have 
oligopolistic, oligopsonic or administered trade structures, where public and private actors from 
different countries operate under unequal conditions, which become more acute when there 
are barriers to trade that strengthen dominant positions. 
Today, an ambitious text on trade facilitation, which contributes to reducing these barriers to some 
extent, has been submitted. There are certain points to which Uruguay cannot subscribe, 
but it sees this text, overall, as a step forwards. 
The same cannot be said for other issues such as export competition and food security. We are faced with a lack of political will to advance in the area of export competition. 
While assurances are proposed with respect to trade facilitation, there are uncertainties 
in agriculture. 
Uncertainty is an obstacle to inve stment and hence to development. 
It is essential to revive the Doha Round and breathe new life into it in order to achieve broader 
market access, lower tariffs and eliminate export subsidies, in accordance with the commitments undertaken in the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration. 
Given their central importance, it is the results in agriculture that will signify the success or failure 
of the negotiations, as they are decisive in leading to a balanced outcome. 
An imbalanced Bali package would also be a failure. Those who today impede trade are not only reinforcing barriers to trade but are also raising 
obstacles to development, with the spurious result of defending positions of power. 
The other controversial issue at this meeting is that of food security. WT/MIN(13)/ST/54 
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  The countries that are demanding a peace clause for measures aimed at food security 
are generally the same countries that, according to forecasts relating to global water resources, will experience difficulties around 2030. 
Uruguay poses the following question in the form of a proposal: would it not be far more 
appropriate to search for a global solution to food security in these countries rather than a peace 
clause for an indefinite period? 
Uruguay believes that it would be, and suggests that these countries enter into dialogue 
with the food-exporting countries in orde r to reach long-term supply agreements. 
The experience of countries that are now developed shows us that measures initially prompted 
by food security later endure in the form of protectionist measures. 
A package providing for disguised protectionism would also undermine the WTO's credibility. 
For the credibility of the WTO, Mr Chairman, does not solely depend on whether consensus 
is reached, or not, on a Bali package. 
Perhaps the time has come to ask ourselves a few honest questions: 
(1) What does the credibility of multilateralism depend on? 
a. On the ability to move ahead and also accept failure? 
b. On advancing at any cost, to the detriment of balance between the 
different positions? 
(2) Does not credibility also depend on the fairness of the mechanism? 
a. Until when will meetings continue to be held between only a few behind 
closed doors? 
b. Is this the way for us to provide assurances to the smallest and relatively less 
developed countries? 
As Uruguay is widely known as a public and staunch defender of multilateralism and hence 
of the WTO, we know that these critical and admittedly somewhat pessimistic words will be taken 
constructively, because they are intended to trigger a revitalizing reaction and lead to a fairer system. 
Because fairness, Mr Chairman, does not mean imposing positions negotiated amongst 
the powerful. 
Fairness, Mr Chairman, does not mean defending positions that result in imbalanced agreements. Fairness, Mr Chairman, means ensuring that the smallest and most vulnerable countries receive 
the assurances they need for their development in global society. 
 
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