WT/MIN(13)/ST/20  
4 December 2013  
(13-6655)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. HONOURABLE CLAY FORAU SOALAOI 
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL TRADE 
SOLOMON ISLANDS  
I would like to join other head of delegations in congratulating you on your assumption of 
chairmanship to guide the deliberations of this conference. I wish to thank the Government and people of Indonesia for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality in this beautiful Island of Bali.   
Solomon Islands came to this conference with a high expectation and that is, for the Bali Package 
to be delivered this week. As an LDC, we need th e Multilateral Trading System (MTS) to deliver on 
the promises of the Doha Development Agenda ( DDA). Although the package before us may not 
fully capture everything we aspire to achieve, we hope it will be acceptable to all members. We 
therefore urge all members to exercise the necess ary political flexibilities to ensure we have a 
package at the end of this conference.  
 
Should we conclude Bali successfully, it is important we continue into other issues in the DDA and should avoid as much as possible to bring in twenty first (21st) century issues and concentrate only on those already identified in the DDA. 
 
I now speak on behalf of the six Pacific Island members of the WTO, three of which are LDCs and the other three are developing countries. The Pacific Islands are some of the most vulnerable 
economies within the WTO membership given their smallness, remoteness, their geographical 
fragmentation, heavy reliance on a few goods and services exports and are on the frontline of climate change. 
 
While the Bali package provides opportunities fo r some of our members and perhaps little benefit 
for others, our presence here in Bali is to support a successful outcome of MC9 that restores confidence in the multilateral rules based system which is predictable, fair and inclusive. A 
successful outcome in our view would constitute: 
 
1.  support for the development pillar including the LDC proposals; 
 
2.  the provision of adequate and predictable, fi nancial resources and technical assistance for 
trade capacity building to accompany any agr eement on the Bali package or elements of 
the package; and  
 
3.  to support a post-Bali work program that recommits the WTO to putting back on track the 
DDA negotiations that would holistically address the development agenda including, 
progressing the work programme of small vulnerable economies, fisheries subsidies 
disciplines, trade and environment including climate change and making special and differential treatment provisions more effective in addressing non-tariff measures on 
members key export interests. 
 Finally, I wish on behalf of Solomon Islands extend our gratitude to the Director General, His 
Excellency, Mr. Roberto Azevêdo for his outstandin g leadership in ensuring the negotiations in 
Geneva are inclusive and transparent.  WT/MIN(13)/ST/20 
 
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  In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm our unequivocal support for a successful outcome of the Bali 
package this Friday and lets not depart the beautifu l shores of Bali empty handed but at least with 
something to show for our respective citizens.  
__________