WT/MIN(24)/ST/7  
26 February 2024  
(24-1432) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: French  
 
  
STATEMENT BY FEDERAL COUNCILLOR MR GUY PARMELIN  
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS,  
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH  
SWITZERLAND  
Let me first express Switzerland's deep est gratitude to the Government and people of 
the United  Arab Emirates, as well as to you, Chair, for hosting this 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, 
and for the generous hospitality you are extending to us in Abu Dhabi.  
 
I wish the United Arab Emirates and the  WTO a highly successful Ministerial Conference that is equal  
to today's global challenges.  
 
We are under no illusion: the multilateral trading system is under pressure! The 164 Members 
gathered here have diverging interests. We are struggling to conclude new trade agreements. The 
dispute settlement system is gridlocked. We must therefore demonstrate that the WTO is still capable 
of finding viable solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.  
 
In spite of these difficulties, we all too often forget just how important the WTO is for us  all. Since 
the creation of the WTO, global trade flows have continued to increase. Various crises have 
undoubtedly triggered a great deal  of volatility, and trade growth has slowed in the last decade. 
Nevertheless, trade has  continued to grow, creating wealth and jobs, thus helping to lift hundreds 
of millions of people out of poverty.  
 
To a large extent, it is the WTO rules that ensure the openness of international markets and legal 
certainty for international economic excha nges. The WTO provides a framework that allows  our 
citizens and businesses to develop . It also enables States to settle their disputes peacefully.  
 
The crisis of confidence affecting the global trading system comes on top of pre -existing tensions in 
intern ational politics . Above all, however, it sits alongside a more general crisis concerning 
multilateral institutions.  
 
In the face of these difficulties , let us reflect on what has not worked, how to overcome the 
bottlenecks, and the reforms that need to be undertaken.  
 
To stay relevant, the WTO must reform itself. Without reform, trade policy will increasingly be 
formulated  outside the Organization's framework.  
 
Reforming the WTO involves, first and foremost, strengthening and developing the existing system. 
A functioning dispute settlement system is the key element of this reform. Without it, the rules -based 
multilateral system loses a core component.  
 
Reforming the WTO is also about opening up to new issues . The link between trade and the 
environment is clear. This Organization must assume leadership in this area and show how trade 
can help to address environmental and climate issues.  
 
Integrating plurilateral in itiatives on investment facilitation and digital trade into the WTO legal 
framework is imperative  if the Organization wants to remain relevant.  
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  Innovation in the digital economy is developing at lightning speed, and climate change urgently 
requires new s olutions. The WTO must also contribute to the global response to the food crisis, and 
to strengthening supply chain resilience. If the Organization does not address these new issues, they 
may be resolved outside the WTO, which is not in the interest of its  Members.  
 
Switzerland stands ready to engage constructively in all areas, including where we have significant 
defensive interests.  
 
This is particularly true for agriculture, where we strive to find balanced and mutually acceptable 
solutions.  
 
For this Co nference to be a success, all Members must show openness and compromise. I call on all 
participants to think large -scale and to look at the future of the WTO through a global prism. It is 
time to strengthen and develop this Organization!  
 
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