. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/120 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6872) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   English 
 
  
MONGOLIA 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr. Luvsantseren Orgil 
Ambassador and Permanent Representative 
 
 
I would like to express deep appreciation to th e Director-General and the Secretariat for 
making great efforts to make this Conference a me aningful event that would send a strong signal of 
effective and inclusive multilateralism on the global level.   
 
Mongolia reaffirms its commitment to the rul es-based multilateral trading system in which 
the WTO plays a central role not only in safeguardin g the trade rules, but also in updating and making 
them more responsive to the realities of the 21st century. 
 
We share the view that the MTS has been indi spensable in preventing protectionist measures 
during the recent global economic and financial crises.  At least for this reason, the impasse of the DDA negotiations should not shadow the WTO and the multilateral trading system as a whole.  This 
Ministerial Conference should serve as yet another o pportunity to give a strong collective response to 
the protectionist pressures. 
 
The role of the MTS in the overall economic  development of Members should not be 
overseen. Mongolia is a clear example for it demonstrates that the freer trade policy is one of the essential pillars of the economic development.  Ou r GDP per capita has seen a five-fold increase over 
the last decade and trade turnover a six-fold increase.   Nonetheless, we have to keep in mind that the 
impasse will not free us from harsh criticisms that major players in the negotiations are not doing 
enough to deliver the promises of the Development Round.  
 
My delegation regretfully notes the inability of  the Members to reach consensus on certain 
draft decisions for this Ministerial Conference that  would have helped improve the credibility of the 
organization and address the legitimate concerns of  its developing Members.  The success of the 
negotiations should not be seen along the axis of  controversy between de veloped and developing 
Members.  My delegation has been and is promo ting the inclusiveness of all Members in the MTS, 
thus, it calls on all Members, deve loped and developing, to  truly demonstrate their will to conclude 
the Round.   
Despite the hardships in the current negotiations, we believe that the entire membership of the 
WTO remains committed to their acknowledgement that the WTO is more than the Doha Round and 
recognizes the effective functioning of the organiza tion until now in the important areas such as 
dispute settlement, ensuring transparency and the management of technical assistance programmes. 
 
Taking this opportunity, Mongolia warmly welcomes Vanuatu, Samoa, the Russian 
Federation and Montenegro as the new Members. In particular, the Government of Mongolia 
congratulates the Russian Federation, one of the major markets for Mongolian products, on her WT/MIN(11)/ST/120 
Page 2  
 
  successful accession which is a testimony to her commitment to trade liberalization and economic 
reform.   
My delegation fully su pports the positions and principles expressed in the Ministerial 
Communiqué of G-33 and the Communiqué of Mi nisters and Heads of Delegation of Recently 
Acceded Members (RAMs).  
 
As a net-food importing devel oping country, Mongolia calls on all WTO Members to give 
their strong political support to the proposal discu ssed in WTO bodies on work programme to mitigate 
the impact of the food market prices and volatility on WTO LDCs and the Net-Food Importing 
Developing Countries.  
 
My delegation wishes to reiterate that any fu ture work programme of the WTO and outcome 
of the DDA negotiations should take into account the extensive commitments already made by the 
RAMs on their accession.   
 
Mongolia also looks forward to the successf ul conclusion of the trade facilitation 
negotiations, which should contain gl obally binding commitments to en sure the freedom of transit and 
the removal of transit transport impediments.   
Mongolia strives to contribute to this process and an international Think Tank to support the 
landlocked developing countries was established at the initiative of the Government of Mongolia. In 
this relation, we call on all Members, the landlocke d countries in particular, and other partners to 
support the activities of the international Think Tank.   
If we look back to the previous Ministerial Conference, there was a strong convergence of 
opinions on the importance of the Doha Round to the economic recovery and poverty reduction.  The 
centrality of the development dimension of the Roun d has not been challenged. We must back up our 
political statements made by Members at va rious occasions with concrete actions.  
 
Therefore, my delegation is of the view th at the post-MC8 work should focus more on how 
the concerns and issues raised by the Ministers can  find their way to realistic implementation.  
 
 
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