WT/MIN(15)/ST/101  
5 January 2016  
(16-0081)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: French  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR ALIOUNE SARR 
MINISTER OF TRADE, THE INFORMAL SECTOR, CONSUMPTION, PROMOTION 
OF LOCAL PRODUCTS AND SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES 
SENEGAL  
We take great pride in the fact that Africa is hosting the 10th Ministerial Conference of the 
World Trade Organization here in Nairobi. I wi sh to express our deep appreciation to the 
Government and people of Kenya for the outstanding organization of this meeting and for the 
hospitality - a traditional African virtue - extended to my delegation and myself. 
 I also congratulate in particular the Director-General, Mr Roberto Azevêdo, and his team for their 
sustained efforts to make this Conference a success.  
 Lastly, I welcome the accession of the new Members, Afghanistan and Liberia, a fellow nation with 
which we share membership in ECOWAS, currently under the chairmanship of the Senegalese 
Head of State, His Excellency Mr Macky Sall.   Two years after Bali, we meet again in order to take stock of the implementation of the 
commitments agreed with a view to improving market access and reducing barriers to trade so as, 
among other things, to enhance international trade prospects for the developing countries.  
We cannot overstate how crucial it is that this negotiating round launched in 2001 should be 
completed in order to achieve a comprehensive reform of the multilateral trading system.   
At this crucial moment in the life of our Organization, we are given the opportunity to take the full 
measure of the obstacles standing in our way and to appropriately redirect our future endeavours. 
 This is a necessary step in light of the mixed results achieved to date. 
 
Admittedly, there has been some progress, which is gratifying. This includes the Agreement on Trade Facilitation; the LDC services waiver; the Bali Package of December 2013; and extension of 
the drug patent exemption for the poorest Members. 
 Nonetheless, many objectives still remain to be  achieved, because of outstanding disagreements, 
which we find somewhat bewildering, on a number of negotiating issues.  
 In view of the sluggish global economy, the pr oliferation of tariff and non-tariff barriers and 
repeated trade frictions, it is both important and necessary for us to continue to markedly improve 
the conditions under which global trade is conducted, so that it can fully play its role as an 
essential factor in ensuring stability, security and development.  
Senegal welcomes the consensus that emerges on the LDC package and hopes that further efforts 
will be made to better accommodate the interests of the developing countries, particularly in terms of cuts in domestic support with huge trade-dist orting effects, the establishment of additional 
disciplines on fisheries subsidies and the prohibition of those that contribute to overfishing. 
 Efforts will also be required to extend the serv ices waiver to all regional economic communities 
( R E C s ) ,  m o s t l y  c o m p o s e d  o f  L D C s ;  t o  e n a b l e  t h e  d e v e l o p i n g  c o u n t r i e s  t o  m a k e  s i m p l e  a n d  WT/MIN(15)/ST/101 
 
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  effective use of the provisions of Article XVIII of  the GATT in order to promote and protect their 
industries; and to find a definitive solution to th e issue of stockholding for food security purposes. 
 We believe that the multilateral trading system should be organized in such a way as to enable 
each Member to reap benefits from it, on an ongoing basis as well as at the end of negotiating 
rounds.   
Hence, we need to bear in mind that the agreements and rules resulting from such rounds must 
remain dynamic in nature since they derive from a continuous process of cooperation and reform, driven precisely by the institutionalization of negotiation.   
Senegal will continue to engage in this process, profoundly convinced as it is that all countries, and 
the developing countries in particular, need a strong multilateral system based on security and predictability, thanks to rules that are accepted by all. 
 
As regards implementation of the Trade Facilitati on Agreement, I would like to emphasize that 
Senegal has already made significant headway by introducing paperless import and export 
procedures, establishing a single window and creating a Directorate of Facilitation and Partnership 
with Enterprises.  These positive experiences have allowed us to exchange and share good customs practices with 
many African countries. 
 Senegal has already notified the WTO Secretariat of its Category A provisions and identified those 
in Categories B and C. 
 Nonetheless, as we are shortly to begin the ratification process, we wish to remind our partners of 
the commitments undertaken to ensure optimal implementation of this agreement.  
 
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