WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/140 
17 December 2005 
 (05-6146) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   French 
 
  
TUNISIA 
 
Statement by HE Mr Mondher Zenaïdi
 
Minister for Commerce and Handicrafts  
   I should first like to join delegations that have  preceded me to express my thanks to our hosts, 
the Government of Hong Kong, for the organization of this Sixth Ministerial Conference of the WTO 
and for the warm welcome and hospitality receive d since our arrival in this beautiful city. 
  They have provided us with the right conditions  in which to take the decisions needed to 
move ahead with the negotiations under way and to gi ve the world of trade the confidence it needs to 
achieve the sustained growth of the global economy.  
 I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Mr Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO, and 
Ms Amina Chawahir Mohamed, Chair of the Gene ral Council, for their ongoing efforts and for the 
difficult balancing act they have accomplished in orde r to respond to the concerns of various Member 
countries.  
 We have reason to be satisfied with the prep arations for this Conference.  The negotiating 
process began well before we met.  This dynamic pr ocess has, above all, meant that since July 2004 
we have gradually been able to envisage a positive outcome for the Hong Kong meeting.  It has also 
meant that today an increasing number of delegations  view with accrued interest the success of the 
current negotiations.  Trade and trade liberalization must benefit all, without exception.  This hope 
must not be disappointed.  It must continue to catalyze our energies and guide our collective action. 
 
 It is a priority objective of our Conference to  assess the progress made in Geneva and to guide 
our future action in accordance with the spirit and terms of the Doha Development Agenda, respecting 
the principle of the balance of rights and obliga tions.  The single undertaking is essential in this 
process. 
 
 Speakers who have already taken the floor have  referred to the manifo ld approaches in the 
negotiations on issues of concern to us.   Tunisia's position in this respect is clear:  strict observance of the Doha Mandate, 
development that must be at the centre of any process to reform the multilateral trading system, and 
increased participation by developing countries in fl ows of exports and global investment in order to 
meet the challenge of employment.   First of all, Tunisia welcomes the recent ag reement on patents and public health.  This 
achievement is an example of practical applica tion of the development component in the current 
negotiations. 
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  Regarding the concerns relating to special a nd differential treatment, Tunisia considers that 
these issues are an essential cornerstone of the multilateral trading system.  In this respect, certain of 
the WTO's Agreements must be adapted to the sp ecial needs of development and the actual capacity 
of developing countries, without distinction, to put them into effect.  
 I should not like to miss the opportunity also to  draw attention to other questions of interest 
such as consistency in drawing up global economic po licies and the debt issue, which Tunisia raised 
when it chaired the African Group in 1994.   The same applies to the question of trade and transfer of technology and the crucial 
importance of information and communications technologies for balanced and equitable human 
development.  The international community's determination to promote this sector, as well as its attachment to implementing the recommendations of the World Summit on the Information Society, 
which Tunisia recently had the honour to host, mean th at we must all work together to define ways 
and means of bridging the digital gap, which is fa r more a development gap than a disparity in coming 
to grips with modern technology. 
  In the agricultural sector, Tunisia welcomes the efforts made on both sides to move the 
discussions forward.  Agriculture is a vital sect or on which the majority of the population in 
developing countries depends.  The concerns of these countries must be taken into account when 
defining the future reform programme in this sector .  The conditions in global markets for agricultural 
produce are still affected by distortions, despite  the disciplines introduced by the Uruguay Round 
Agreements.  Any improvement in market access should take that fact into account. 
  Developing countries should not lower their cust oms tariffs according to automatic formulas 
but the special nature and the vulnerability of the agricultural sector in the countries concerned should 
be taken into account. 
  In addition, as far as domestic support for agri culture is concerned, certain forms allowed 
under the present Agreement and widespread in devel oped countries are not favourable to developing 
countries.  As an example, the income insura nce programmes.  Such forms of support require 
appropriate and costly administrative mechanisms. 
 
 In order to ensure that small-scale agricultu re does not suffer the impact of liberalization, 
flexible and properly adapted means of supporting ag ricultural activities have to be maintained and 
devised.  Developing countries should be in a positi on to promote the productio n of food products for 
local consumption and be able to take food security  into account by means of policies to support the 
market price for food products.  The support generated by these policies should not be included when 
calculating the aggregate measurement of support.   As to export competition, the disciplines on e xport credits and export credit guarantees should 
not affect the capacity of developing countries to mobilize the financing required for their imports of food products.  Conditions on financial markets are so tight that credit is increasingly being mobilized 
to the detriment of development programmes.  It is thus necessary to reactivate the decision in favour 
of net food-importing countries and make it operational.   The cotton initiative is symptomatic of the many problems encountered by developing countries, particularly as far as the maintenance of external balances is concerned.  It shows clearly 
the indissoluble links between economic and trade policies and the multilateral trade rules.  We 
proclaim our solidarity with African countries in th is regard and call for their legitimate demand to be 
taken into account here in Hong Kong.   Regarding market access for non-agricultural products, the choice of a formula involving a 
reduction in customs tariffs is of particular importa nce.  The margin of manoeuvre is narrow when it  WT/MIN(05)/ST/140 
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 is a question of a general reduction in customs tari ffs, which some parties would like to see.  Such a 
reduction is particularly difficult to envisage when  Tunisia has fixed as an objective the creation over 
five years from 2005 to 2009 of 70,000 projects or enterprises in a context in  which the textiles and 
clothing sector, the most important manufacturing sector from the point of view of jobs and exports, is 
undergoing in-depth restructuring following the im plementation of the WTO's Agreement on Textiles 
and Clothing and the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement. 
  Tunisia proposes a flexible formula with a mitig ated impact that involves a high coefficient 
for reductions based on bound customs duties.  In this  connection, it draws attention to the erosion of 
tariff concessions it receives on foreign markets and expresses its concern regarding the impact of the 
relevant negotiations on its  exports.  It reaffirms its demand that the sectoral approach proposed in the 
current negotiations should not affect its interest s in key sectors, including textiles and clothing, 
leather and footwear.   Concerning services, Tunisia is taking an activ e part in the negotiations under way.  It 
submitted its initial offer within the deadline.  It supports the principle of liberalization of services 
sectors that foster increased economic competitiv eness, higher value added and the transfer of 
technology, and boost job creation.  The promotion of  private investment and attracting foreign direct 
investment offer, in this respect, essentia l leverage for achieving these objectives. 
  In exchange, Tunisia hopes to gain better access to services markets in which it has 
considerable export advantages, mainly professiona l and business services.  For this purpose, the 
procedures and conditions for the movement and resi dence of service suppliers must be made more 
flexible, notably through more transparent immigr ation policies and the adoption of disciplines to 
accelerate the conclusion of agreements on r ecognition of diplomas and qualifications. 
 
 The discussions have focused on how better to define the level of ambition expressed by both 
sides.  Proposals have been made on the use of complementary approaches during the negotiations, but they do not appear adapted to the capacity of developing countries.   Regarding trade facilitation, Tunisia lays em phasis on the importance of giving developing 
countries assistance in implementing the relevant agreements.  Contributions by financing 
organizations are essential in this respect in order to support the developing countries' national efforts 
to reform their infrastructure and institutions.   Tunisia will spare no effort to achieve results that will ensure trade transactions become as 
efficient as possible.  In this connection, my c ountry will have the honour of hosting a ministerial 
meeting on trade facilitation. 
  Lastly, allow me to congratulate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Tonga on their accession to the WTO, further proof that this Organization mu st be universal, and we ca ll on partners to refrain 
from imposing demands likely to delay or prevent developing countries, including Tunisia's neighbours, from receiving the benefits of the multilateral trading system. 
 
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