WT/MIN(13)/ST/101  
24 January 2014  
(14-0393)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: Spanish  
 
  STATEMENT BY H.E. MR SANTIAGO ROJAS ARROYO 
MINISTER OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND TOURISM 
COLOMBIA  
I would like to thank you, and through you the Government and people of Indonesia, as well 
as the Director-General and the Secretariat of  the WTO, for ensuring the organization of 
this Ministerial Conference.  
Two years ago, at the Ministerial Conference, we stressed three concerns: the need to provide for 
open economies in order to maintain growth in world trade; the deadlock in the Doha negotiations; and the importance of strengthening the multilateral trading system as a key tool for opening 
up markets and eliminating distortions. 
 For Colombia, economic integration has continued to be the order of the day. The world trend 
towards integration is reflected in the conclusion of new bilateral and regional agreements. 
Although we have suffered the worst global recession since the 1930s, protectionist surges in the world have been minimal. This is one of the ac hievements of the multilateral trading system. 
 
With regard to multilateral negotiations, the last few months have shown us that the possibility 
of reaching agreements at the WTO remains real. The set of documents that have been presented 
to us as part of the "Bali Package" is mature, balanced and realistic enough to be wrapped up very 
shortly: it answers current needs and would benefit us all. 
 Our work in this Organization must be guided by the vision and needs of our business 
communities. In a number of areas, such as Trade Facilitation and Agriculture, their message 
is clear: the world is expecting us to deliver. Of particular importance is the agricultural sector, where the greatest concerns of the private sector in relation to international trade are subsidies 
and health restrictions. It is our duty to listen to their needs and try to come up with solutions. 
 
We need to be aware of what is at stake here in  Bali: the credibility of the WTO and the stability 
of the multilateral trading system. Colombia cannot accept the actions of those whose sole aim 
is to obstruct and systematically oppose everything to prevent the negotiations from moving 
ahead, because they are doing serious damage to the Organization and to the system.  
We must leave Bali with a comprehensive agreement that covers trade facilitation, some elements 
of agriculture, and certain development issues and other issues of interest to the LDCs. In that 
respect, we reiterate our full support for th e efforts being made by the Director-General. 
 
However, the road does not end here. We must move on and draw lessons from our recent 
experiences in order to reach, as soon as possible, a balanced conclusion to the Round, based on the progress already achieved. The process must continue to revolve around agricultural 
reform: we must seek to eliminate the main trade distortions, such as domestic support 
and export subsidies, for the benefit of multilateral trade in agricultural products.  
We call upon everyone here today to revert to this as our ultimate goal and to contribute 
to achieving it.  WT/MIN(13)/ST/101 
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  Last of all, we reiterate our conviction that it is important to maintain a multilateral trading system 
based on properly monitored rules, that provides certainty to economic operators, contributes to increasing trade flows, eliminates market di stortions and keeps an eye on world trade trends; 
a system which, through trade liberalization and the elimination of distortions, boosts economic 
growth and generates employment and development among Members, in particular developing 
countries such as ours.  
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