WT/MIN(17)/ST/28  
 
13 December 2017  
(17-6908) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR  PAT BREEN  
MINISTER OF STATE FO R TRADE, EMPLOYMENT,  BUSINESS,  
EU SINGLE MARKET AND  DATA PROTECTION  
IRELAND  
I wish to join with other delegations in thanking the Government of Argentina for inviting us to 
Buenos Aires, and for the generous hospitality offered to us and the superb organizational 
arrangements that have been put in place.  
Ireland is one of the world’s most open, export -based economies. We rely on exte rnal demand and 
access to international markets for sustainable and continued economic growth. Trade constitutes 
an ever increasingly important means of creating jobs and has been a key factor in Ireland’s 
export led recovery in recent years. The more we t rade together, the more prosperous our 
societies become. This has been demonstrated in the r ecent annual report from the 
EU Commission on the impacts and benefits of Free Trade Agreements.  
While the global economic environment has always been dynamic, chan ge is happening now at a 
faster pace than ever before.  Global value chains are becoming ever more interlinked; creating 
new trading patterns, and driving companies to become continuously more innovative and 
competitive. Environmental sustainability and gl obal development issues are now central to the 
trade agenda. The digitisation of trade is revolutionising how people access and pay for goods and 
services, and how companies reach markets.   
Ireland is embracing all these changes. We are moving rapidly tow ards a knowledge -based 
economy built on innovation and technology. We have developed an innovative business climate 
that is driven by cutting -edge information technology. We understand that our economic future is 
dependent on the successful digitisation of  our native businesses and Ireland is recognised as a 
digital front runner globally.  
Among my current ministerial responsibilities are the EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, 
so I know that E -Commerce is now a key driver of international trade p olicy.  Digitisation is 
increasing on a vast scale. In addition to the difference it makes to our everyday lives, digitisation 
provides huge economic opportunities for all of us. It impacts every part of our economic 
development from regulatory frameworks and intellectual property rights to market access and 
trade facilitation.  So initiatives designed to enhance how E -Commerce can grow trade, especially 
for SMEs, are important and must be embraced by the WTO and its member countries. We must 
also work toge ther to ensure that all countries are provided with the technical assistance needed 
to gain fully from the changing global trade environment.  
We believe that the WTO provides the essential framework to manage these extraordinary 
transformations taking plac e in world trade. The agreements and obligations overseen by the WTO 
are essential to the fair regulation of trade. They give our enterprises the confidence to develop 
new secure, open markets. Businesses gain from transparent, predictable and fair trading  rules.  
The WTO must continue to adapt to the needs of its members and be responsive to global 
developments. This is what makes the Organisation vibrant, relevant and respected.    
I hope that we here today will take a leadership role in promoting common solutions to the new 
challenges and opportunities brought about by the digital age. The work of the WTO  on WT/MIN(17)/ST/28  
 
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  E-Commerce should be key to providing the means to increase global trade for all members. 
Ireland, as a member of the EU, will play its part in tryin g to achieve tangible results on this issue.    
We must now be ambitious in our hopes and our actions; we must show resolve in looking to the 
future rather than restating the issues of the past. The decisions we make at this Conference must 
give the global  trading system the necessary stimulus to grow our economies in order to create 
decent jobs and raise the living standards for the citizens of our countries. We should now all work 
towards a successful conference and support the WTO and the rules based mul tilateral trading 
system. Ireland looks forward to engaging in a constructive and positive spirit in these critical 
discussions, and to engaging with our electorates back home and with civil society generally on the 
benefits and opportunities offered by a fair, balanced and rules based multilateral trading system.  
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