WT/MIN(15)/ST/54  
18 December 2015  
(15-6781)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: French  
 
  STATEMENT BY H.E. MR POCOUN DAMÈ KOMBIENOU 
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE 
BENIN 
The delegation of Benin would like to extend its sincere congratulations and its appreciation to the 
Kenyan authorities and the entire population of Kenya for its warm welcome and hospitality, and for its excellent preparation of the 10
th WTO Ministerial Conference. 
 
Benin associates itself with the statements made by Lesotho on behalf of the African Group, by 
Bangladesh on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), by Barbados on behalf of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries (ACP), and by Chad on behalf of the 
Co-Sponsors of the Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton (C-4). 
 Our warmest congratulations go to the delegations of Liberia and Afghanistan for the efforts made 
by their respective governments culminating in the accession of the two countries to the WTO, 
thereby extending the family of WTO Members.  The 10
th WTO Ministerial Conference represents a major stage in the life and operation of the 
World Trade Organization. 
 This is why the delegation of Benin, like other African, developing and least developed countries, 
has high expectations: it shares the conviction that trade is an important lever for the promotion 
of development and the reduction of poverty.  
Here in Nairobi, we must achieve concrete, substantial and measurable results that provide short-, 
medium- and long-term support for the efforts of the developing countries, in particular the LDCs, in the areas of economic and trade promotion as well as poverty reduction.  
The LDCs, including Benin, would like to see decisions reached in Nairobi that take due account of 
their concerns and priority needs in connection with the implementation and follow up of the decisions adopted two years ago at the 9
th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali. 
 
On the cotton issue in particular, the results must  cover the two aspects, trade and development, 
as decided in Hong Kong and confirmed in Bali. 
 
The delegation of Benin would like to thank its multilateral and bilateral North-South and South-South partners, and urge them to continue with their technical and financial assistance for the implementation of projects and programmes developed by the Government of Benin, namely: 
 
1. Project for the reorganization of the cotton sector through zoning in Benin; 2. Project for the creation of an agricultural diversification fund; 
3. Project for the rehabilitation of a textile industry; 
4. Project for the rehabilitation of the Fibre Classification Service of the National Agricultural 
Promotion Company. 
 
We would also like to draw the kind attention of the community of partners to the Route du Coton (Cotton Roadmap) project, whose implementation will help to strengthen the production and 
export capacity of the C-4 countries in the co tton sector and to integrate their economies in 
regional and international value chains. WT/MIN(15)/ST/54 
- 2 - 
   
I am pleased to announce, Mr Chairman, that the Republic of Benin, committed to an open and balanced trade system, will shortly be completing its ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. 
 
The delegation of Benin would like to stress how much it values the technical and financial assistance it receives under the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) programme, Aid for Trade 
(AfT) and other initiatives. 
 We highly appreciate the contribution of the WTO Chairs Programme in which Benin has been participating for a year: the results of this work have contributed to human and institutional 
capacity building and to the efficient mana gement of economic and trade activities. 
 We hope that support for the Beninese Government will continue so that we can consolidate the 
results achieved and the reforms undertaken and ensu re that they contribute to economic growth, 
diversification of goods and services production, and the creation of jobs.  
Finally, we wish the 10
th WTO Ministerial Conference every success. 
 
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