WT/MIN(15)/ST/16
18 December 2015
(15-6731)  Page: 1/1
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR JAEDO MOON 
VICE MINISTER OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND ENERGY 
REPUBLIC OF KOREA 
Let me first join to thank the government and people of the Republic of Kenya for hosting this 10th 
WTO Ministerial Conference. Korea welcomes Kazakhstan on its first time participating as a WTO Member. We also congratulate and welcome Liberia and Afghanistan for their accession to the WTO at this Conference. 
 
The multilateral trading system embodied in th e WTO has been instrumental in providing an 
enabling environment for economic  growth and development. Many countries, including Korea, 
have made the best of trade opportunities, in pursuit of their poverty reduction and growth 
strategies.  
Helping Members replicate these success stories has become an important part of WTO's work, as 
demonstrated by increasing activities related to the Aid for Trade. In this regard, Korea is very 
pleased to have been part of the Pledging Co nference for the Second Phase of the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework, which was a great success. 
 
Having first-hand experience in trading its way out of poverty, Korea will do its best to make further contributions to this worthy endeavour. We all came here determined to make the first 
Ministerial Conference in Africa, a success. This depends on two things: what we deliver here, and 
what we tell the outside world the WTO is up to.  
First, we should not allow ourselves to leave Nairobi empty-handed. Issues remaining on the table, 
while limited in scope, have a great bearing on the livelihood of many people in the developing world. We have to do all we can in order to meet the expectations of Africans who are our dear host. While there remain significant gaps, they are not insurmountable. We must and can deliver, 
if all of us exercise the same spirit of compromise as seen in Bali and in Paris at the COP 21. 
 It is also important to conclude the ITA expansion negotiations, which will become a significant 
achievement here in Nairobi. Being an MFN-based plurilateral agreement, it will bring benefits of 
liberalization to all WTO Members. Every party shou ld exercise flexibility, rather than repeatedly 
maintaining its original position. We also would like to invite non-participants to consider joining 
this important Agreement. 
 Second, we need to present a credible path on ho w to navigate challenges the WTO faces. There is 
no denying that there are different perspectives on  the WTO’s negotiating function. Addressing this 
issue should start with acknowledging the reality as it is while respecting different views, all of 
which I believe should have good reasons. My sober assessment is that we need more time.  
 
Korea therefore proposes that we Ministers instruct the officials to continue deliberations to 
identify how best to conduct WTO negotiations, with the understanding that remaining DDA issues need to be addressed.  
 
On all these matters, Korea is prepared to work with other Members with an open mind, to ensure that the WTO continues to play the role as a bed-rock of the multilateral trading system.   
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