WT/MIN(15)/ST/58  
21 December 2015  
(15-6785)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY HON. DR POHIVA TUIONETOA 
MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND LABOUR 
TONGA 
On behalf of the Government of Tonga, may I ex tend our sincere appreciation to the Government 
of Kenya and its people for organizing this important Ministerial Conference.   May I also place on record Tonga’s appreciation to our Advisors in Geneva, the Pacific Islands 
Forum Secretariat Office, and the coordinators of  the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP), and 
Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) Groups.  
Tonga is a small economy. We have small popula tions, dispersed across many islands and a large 
expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Climate change continues to threaten the lives and livelihoods of our people – we are currently the third most vulnerable country in the world to natural disasters.  
 
As a “non-resident” delegation, Tonga wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the Multilateral Trading system (MTS).   
Tonga believes that the WTO rules based system is important in ensuring certainty, predictability 
and transparency for small island countries like ours.   
We note with concern the lack of progress in the Doha Development Round negotiations at the 
WTO. However, we still feel that we are better off inside the global trading system than outside it.  
 
We also note with caution the rise of new mega-FTAs. While on the one hand they may be able to 
help advance some of the WTO issues, the potentia l for them to undermine the Multilateral Trade 
System is a major risk, which is a concern for Small and Vulnerable Economies like ours.   
Tonga is fully committed to the achievement of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development 
Goals (SDGs). We believe that any outcomes here in Nairobi be development-focussed, and coherent with the SDGs.  
 
Given the development challenges and vulnerabilities  facing LDCs and VEs, Special and Differential 
Treatment must be accorded to us. 
 
Tonga wishes to renew the call for a more systemic approach to the treatment of the unique constraints faced by SVEs to support our beneficial integration into the global economy.     
Tonga continues to face high trade costs such as trade-related infrastructure, energy, and ICT 
connectivity. We wish to acknowledge our major development partners who have contributed to Tonga’s trade development. However, addressing our supply-side constraints remains the most 
significant challenge to increasing Tonga’s ca pacity to trade. Tonga therefore stresses the 
importance of the WTO Aide for Trade initiative and calls for additional resources from our partners to assist Tonga in addressing these challenges.  
 
Tonga applauds the approach of the TFA which link s implementation to the gaining of appropriate 
capacities.   WT/MIN(15)/ST/58 
 
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  We believe that where appropriate, future multil ateral trade agreements should also adopt this 
approach.   I am pleased to announce that we are currently undertaking necessary measures at the national 
level to ensure our Category Commitments are notified as soon as possible with a view to 
ratification in the near future.   
Given the importance of the fisheries sector for Tonga, our Government continues to promote 
sector growth in a sustainable way. Fisheries is critical for livelihoods and local food security for the majority of our people, many of whom are small scale artisanal fishermen and women.   
We support potential outcomes on the elimination of capacity enhancing fisheries subsidies that 
have negative impacts on marine ecology, ecos ystems, because these ultimately undermine our 
quest for sustainable development.  
 
Our challenge here is to balance sustainability and trade concerns with appropriate flexibilities for small and vulnerable economies that lack the capa city and resources to provide harmful levels of 
support. 
 Turning now to Tonga’s regional setting, we attach particular importance to achieving closer economic integration with our neighbours, as a complement to the WTO’s global approach. We 
have ratified the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement in goods and we are now preparing for 
its implementation. We are also planning to comp lete, by June 2016, our negotiations between our 
fellow Pacific Island Countries and Australia and New Zealand under a development-oriented 
PACER + Agreement.  
 Tonga feels that one cannot and should not separate the trade challenges at the multilateral level 
from those at the bilateral, regional and domestic level, but rather tackle them as an integrated 
package.   The linkage between the multilateral and regional level negotiations is critical. Timing is also of the 
essence. These need to be concluded sooner rather  than later, with commitments that will secure 
important benefits to all parties.   
We are appreciative of the opportunity to be here at the first WTO Ministerial to be held in Africa 
and the first Ministerial to be held in an ACP country.   
We acknowledge the fact that it is highly likely that we will not have a comprehensive package 
that will be agreed on here.   This is disappointing but it is the reality we face.  
 
Faced with this uncertainty in the negotiations, Tong a believes that it is imperative that we clearly 
establish our collective direction and mandates on the post Nairobi agenda and unresolved DDA 
issues.  
 Our key interests would include but are not limited to: preserving the Agriculture and NAMA 
flexibilities; fisheries subsidies; and a work plan  and approach to address, in a meaningful and 
systemic manner, the needs of small, vulnerable economies.   Tonga also wishes to support the positions of the ACP, SVE and Pacific Groups. 
 
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