. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/98 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6288) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
 
Statement by H.E. Dr Nam Viyaketh
 
Minister of Industry and Commerce  
 
(Speaking as an Observer) 
 
 
 It is a great honour for me and the Lao delega tion to take part in this 7th WTO Ministerial 
Conference. On behalf of the Lao Government, a llow me to express our profound gratitude to you, 
Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity to address th e Conference and our sincere appreciation to the 
WTO Secretariat for the excellent arrangements.   As an acceding LDC, permit me to focus my  comments on the challenges and opportunities 
Lao PDR is facing in seeking to join the WTO. Presently some 12 LDCs are in the process of 
accession, many of them since a long period. The number of remaining LDC accessions is perhaps a 
testimony to the difficulties many of us face in im plementing sophisticated trade rules and the various 
requests made by member countries.  LDCs lack  both human resources and institutional capacity to 
rapidly adopt WTO disciplines. A low level of eco nomic development, and unfamiliarity with and 
uncertainties about social consequences make stakeholders reticent to change. Informing 
parliamentarians and the stakeholders about numer ous and untested complex legal reforms is often a 
challenge for LDCs. Lao PDR sees WTO accession as a unique opportunity to implement needed 
reforms, to seek technical assist ance and to raise political support for reforms thereby laying the 
groundwork for sustained economic modernization, in creased prosperity and a better future for our 
people.  But effective modernization for citizen s does not occur simply because commitments have 
been written in a working party report.  To ensu re full implementation of the agreed reforms, a 
cooperative approach is crucial – an approach  where LDCs are given transition periods for 
implementation backed by a concrete plan of action with secured international financial assistance.  In 
this way, all Members are assured that WTO best practices are effectively and fully implemented.   
 The 2002 Decision to facilitate and accelerate the LDCs accession, the Statements of Phnom 
Penh Consensus by acceding LDCs Ministers and the Dar es Salaam Declaration on the accession issues provide an excellent basis for such a cooperative approach. E ach acceding Member has its own 
economic and social particularities, and a "one-size- fits-all" accession model may not be conducive to 
the development and reform efforts of the accedi ng country.  Lao PDR sincerely hopes that the 
recently established dialogue between acceding c ountries and WTO Members will be strengthened 
and will be results-oriented. In addition informal  workshops among acceding countries are very useful 
to exchange experiences, to iden tify the main issues acceding count ries face in their accession process 
and to ensure that their reform efforts are sustainable. Lao PDR tr usts that such an on-going dialogue 
could help smoothen the accession process, contri bute to mutual understanding and fulfil WTO’s 
vocation as a universal organization.   
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   Lao PDR has been working hard in bringing re lated laws and regulations in line with WTO 
obligations.  The Lao Government remains committe d to implementing WTO required best practices, 
bearing in mind that we will likely need some fl exibility and support in meeting its objectives.  Lao 
PDR is working very hard to improve and make substantial progress in many unfinished areas. We 
have benefited from considerable  political and technical support from WTO Members in helping us 
move forward to an advanced stage.  The accessi on of Lao PDR is within reach if our partners 
demonstrate understanding for the need to ensure that millions of subsistence farmers and a nascent 
industrial economy can adapt to the new realities wit hout jeopardizing their survival.  At the same 
time, we also count on trade partners to continue  to support the efforts of our  Government to 
modernize the Lao economy through bilateral suppor t programmes, the Integrated Framework and 
Aid for Trade. In this manner I am confident that  Lao PDR and the Laotian people will soon benefit 
from increased integration into the multilateral trading system. 
 
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