WT/MIN(17)/ST/43  
13 December 2017  
(17-6928) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires , 10-13 December 2017  Original: Spanish  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR  PABLO CAMPANA  
MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE  
ECUADOR  
On behalf of the Ecuadorian Government, I would like to extend warm greetings to the authorities 
and delegates present  and express sincere thanks to the Government of the Argentine Republic for 
its hospitality and the excellent organization of this Ministerial Conference.  
I shall begin my statement by reaffirming  the importance that my country attaches to the 
multilateral trading system , which is  the raison d' être of this Organization.  
Ecuador is ready to continue working o n an open and inclusive process, which, based on the 
principles of transparency and balance, must prevail in all negotiating areas. To achieve th is, we 
need to focus on building consensus to the satisfaction of all Members.  
Any o utcomes delivered should  be base d on reaffirmation of the rules, principles and objectives of 
the Marrakesh  Agreement , prioritizing development and special and differential  treatment, and 
taking into account flexibilities for the developing and least developed countries.  Priority therefore 
must be given to discussing the outstanding issues of the Doha Work Programme.  
Ecuador attaches major  importance to the pending issues of the negotiations on agriculture, where 
we consider it necessary to achieve  real, comprehensive reform  providing for  balanced 
commitments for all Members.  
The priority must be to reach outcomes in domestic support and ma rket access , which have  
specific negotiating mandates . 
As to the services negotiations, we believe that any outcome should incorporate  the development 
dimension, with due consideration for the flexibilities required in light of the circumstances of the 
developing and least developed countries . To that end, it is essential  to preserve the se countries' 
ability to lay down public polic ies and regulations  according to their development needs , on the 
basis of  the existing mandate.  
Turning to fisheries subsidies, Ecuador supports the achievement of Target 14.6 of the Sustainable 
Development Goals. Our country has taken an active and purposeful part  in the negotiations, 
promoting the adoption of disciplines aimed at prohibiting subsid ies that contribute to illegal, 
unreported and unregulat ed fishing , and reaffirming the importance of special and differential 
treatment for the developing countries.  
As regards the Appellate Body selection process, we call for unit y in order to overcome t he 
systemic impasse on the issue . A process governed by clear and specific provisions cannot  become 
paralyzed.  The Dispute Settlement Body is one of the key pill ars of the multilateral system, having 
made it secure and predictable and ensuring that justice  is done. Hence, i t is imperative that it be 
preserved.  
As to electronic commerce, Ecuador maintains its position that the discussions should proceed  
under the 1998 Work Programme, which should be reaffirmed without requiring the creation of 
new structure s. The discussions on e-commerce should be directed at establishing the parameters WT/MIN(17)/ST/43  
 
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  necessary  to bridge the digital divide between Members and thus  avoid exacerbating  existing 
imbalances  and inequalities.  
As regards the role played by MSMEs, Ecuador supports the position put forward by the Group of 
Friends of MSMEs.  
Without diminishing  the priority of the Doha issues, we have decided to discuss, without 
negotiating, the way in which MSMEs can beco me a devel opment promotion tool through  
international trade , based on an analysi s of the differences between one Member  and another.  
Lastly, Ecuador believes that trade should  be fair and inclusive, so that it benefits both large 
enterprises and small craft business es, promoting growth and development that offers  greater 
employment opportunities and helps to combat  poverty.  
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