JOB/AG/113  
JOB/TNC/63  
JOB/GC/141  
 
16 October 2017  
(17-5580) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session  Original: English  
 
STATEMENTS BY THE PHILIPPINES  
DELIVERED BY THE TRADE AND INDUSTRY U NDERSECRETARY , MR. CEFERINO RODOLFO , 
 AT THE INFORMAL MINISTERIAL MEETING , MARRAKECH, MOROCCO  
9-10 October  2017 
The following communication , dated 13 October 2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Philippines . 
 
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The Delegation of the Philippines is pleased to provide WTO Members with its statements delivered 
during the informal ministerial m eeting in Marrakech , 9-10 October 2017 , with a view t o fully 
inform  Members of the Philippines'  priorities and the needed balance in a package of outcomes 
Members envisage for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in December 2017.  
 
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  JOB/AG/113 • JOB/TNC/63 • JOB/GC/141  
 
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  ANNEX  
- DAY 1 - 
9 October 2017  
WHAT CAN BE  REALISTICALLY ACHIEVED AT MC11?  
1. On behalf of Secretary Ramon Lopez, the Philippines would like to express our appreciation 
to the Kingdom of Morocco and the MC11 Chair for organizing this informal meeting. Thank 
you very much as well to Director -General A zevêdo for summariz ing where we stand.  
 
2. For MC11, the Philippines'  priorities are to secure, first, a Special Safeguard Mechanism 
(SSM) for agriculture and, second, outcomes that will lead to greater participation in 
international trade for Micro , Small and Medium -sized Enterprises (MSMEs).  
 
3. Let me expound first on MSMEs.  
 
4. The Philippines places great importance on the role of MSMEs in promoting inclusive growth. 
We need to have a discussion  to ensure  that, even among MSMEs, competition needs to b e 
fair and discussing comparable definition of enterprise size can facilitate this.  
 
5. Now, even among similarly sized MSMEs  support system and resources vary from country to 
country. And, hence, due consideration should be given to the development level of  
countries.  
 
6. However, the challenge of including MSMEs in trade is not only important  – it is also urgent. 
As the MC11 Chair said, we cannot stand still. We need to constantly move forward  – even if 
one-step at a time.  
 
7. Hence, it is critical for us to be pragmatic, or in the words of Vice Minister Wang, practical 
and reasonable. The Philippines, together with the Friends of MSMEs, is seeking appropriate 
arrangements within the existing framework of the WTO and relevant committees such as 
the establishment of a Working Group under the General Council that will be mandated to 
consider how the multilateral trading system can impact and benefit MSMEs, with particular 
consideration given to the needs and interests of developing and least -developed countries.  
 
8. Let me now focus on our first priority. In Agriculture, th ere are two kinds of priorities:  first, 
those covered by specific ministerial decisions in Nairobi , i.e. Public Stockholding (PSH), 
Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), and Cotton; and second , those wi thout clear specific 
mandates but which Members would like to harvest in MC11 such as Domestic Support and 
Export Restrictions. Despite these long lists of priorities, however, it is indeed a sobering 
state that less than two months to go MC11, Members hav e yet to identify any single area 
that is a clear candidate for harvest in Buenos Aires.  
 
9. Let me underscore that the Philippines'  priority in MC11 is SSM. Developing countries , 
including the Philippines,  have been denied access to SSM since the July Frame work 
Mandate in 2004, thus, it is high time that a concrete and operational decision on SSM is 
issued at MC11. The Philippines would be put in a very difficult position agreeing to any 
package of Agriculture outcomes in MC 11 without SSM included thereto; t hus, meaningful 
engagement on SSM must be demonstrated in good faith if we are all to succeed.    
 
10. The Philippines also fully associates itself with the statement on SSM and PSH to be 
delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the G33.  
 
11. In summary, and in respons e to DG Azevêdo' s plea for interventions to be very clear, the 
Philippines'  priorities for MC11 are: 1) Special Safeguards Mechanism for Agriculture ; and 
2) a ministerial decision on an MSME work programme where eventually contentious issues 
can be discussed including comparable definition and consideration for development levels.  
 JOB/AG/113 • JOB/TNC/63 • JOB/GC/141  
 
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  12. The Philippines is willing to work with everyone tow ards a balanced outcome in  MC11;  an 
outcome that truly promotes inclusive growth through trade.  
 
13. Thank you Mr. Chair.  
 
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- DAY 2 - 
10 October 2017  
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR A COMPROMISE?  
1. Thank you, Mr . Chair and thank you DG Azevêdo  for sharing your personal assessment of 
where we stand on issues and what we need to do in order to move forward.  
 
2. On MSMEs, recalling the Preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement and to make trade truly 
inclusive, at the very least, Members need to sustain di scussion on how to enhance the 
participation of MSMEs in the international market and how to ensur e that competition 
among the MSMEs remain s fair by also having a conversation on comparable definition of 
enterprise size by establishing a Working Group unde r the General Council that will consider 
how the multilateral trading system can impact and benefit MSMEs, with particular 
consideration to the needs and interests of developing and least -developed countries.  
 
3. On Agriculture, the Philippines sees an oppor tunity to make MC11 a success in Agriculture 
by harvesting a balanced package of outcomes. And the P hilippines  firmly believes that the 
right balance can only be achieved through trade -offs among key priority issues of most 
Members , i.e. Public Stockholdin g (PSH) , Domestic Support (DS) and Special Safeguard 
Mechanism (SSM). The P hilippines  underscores that Domestic Support can only be 
realistically realized and harvested if a solution on SSM is found.  
 
4. Denying developing countries once more the access to SS M is not only unacceptable, this is 
also a remiss of our mandates that all our Ministers already decided  a long time ago under 
the July Framework, Hong Kong Declaration, and Nairobi Decision. Thus, inaction for SSM 
cannot be and is not an option if we are to succeed in MC11.  
 
5. The Philippines is nevertheless open to a solution on SSM through a special dispensat ion 
under the subsisting Special Agricultural Safeguards (SSG). We agree with DG Azevêdo  that 
SSM is a highly technical issue ; that is why we will be devoting great efforts to engage in 
Geneva prior to Buenos Aires. In determining what to focus on, in addi tion to the feasibility 
of issues, let us also meaningfully discuss and engage on this because this is the right thing 
to do. Inaction for SSM cannot be , and is not , an option if we are to succeed in MC11.  
 
6. Mr. Chair, we must also find a pragmatic and credible way to maintain the Doha 
Development Agenda. Incremental steps may be considered but clearly without abandoning 
the work that has been achieved so far.  
 
7. Mr. Chair, Ministers, the Philippines appreciates th e chance to participate in this meeting. 
Your interventions are very useful as it has allowed us to think through all the elements of 
MC11. Let us make best use of limited time from here  on – we have less than ten weeks to 
Buenos Aires.   
 
8. In this context , the Philippines is open to having a conversation on most of the new issues 
being proposed ; in some of them the Philippines is a leading advocate domestically and in 
other international fora, for instance in APEC and ASEAN. But my delegation cannot return 
to our capital and exhort our officials and people to support prepar ations for a World Trade 
Organiza tion Ministerial Conference where new issues will be discussed but core issues 
relevant to agricultural trade such as SSM may be left behind. Reaching the needed balance 
for success requires exhaustion of all efforts on all priorities of Members for a MC11 decision , 
especially that there is no clear deliverable yet at this juncture. Thus, putting a deadline for JOB/AG/113 • JOB/TNC/63 • JOB/GC/141  
 
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  issues that should land for decisions in MC11 is not only dangerous; this could also negate 
possibilities for success in MC11.  
 
9. Let us discuss issues for Buenos Aires or beyond , not only because they are feasible , but 
also because we have the moral obligation to do in the WTO.  
 
10. Thank you, Mr. Chair. A nd on behalf of Secretary Ramon Lopez, our sincerest gratitude to 
the Kingdom of Morocco for the receiving our delegation.  
 
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