. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/104 
16 December 2005 
 (05-6104) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
SWAZILAND 
 
Statement by the Honourable Mabili Dlamini
 
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade  
   I wish to reiterate my delegation's conti nued appreciation of your able stewardship in 
conducting our meeting.  May I also take this oppor tunity to welcome the Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia 
and Tonga as the newest Members of the WTO. 
  I would like to confine my comments and observations on a few issues, which are of profound importance to my delegation.   Since the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is  a development round, my delegation believes 
that the development dimension should be at th e forefront of these negotiations.  Therefore, 
substantial progress has to be achieved in the key development components of the Doha process of 
negotiation including inter alia , Special and Differential (S&D) treatment, transfer of appropriate 
technology and the special situations of LDCs as well as small and vulnerable economies.  More 
emphasis should be directed at the development pers pective to enable developing countries to achieve 
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in partic ular the poverty eradication goal, which is a 
major priority for developing countries.   In my view, the following are but some of  the development issues that should be given 
priority attention in this Round:  
(a) Tariff commitments undertaken by developing countries be commensurate with their 
levels of development;  and 
(b) increase financial and technical assistance for those developing countries that will 
experience adjustment costs as a result of globalization. 
 In this respect, my delegati on fully supports the "Aid for Tr ade" initiative because it addresses 
supply side constraints faced by developing countr ies and enhances their competitiveness in the global 
market.  The challenge is in operationalizing this co ncept.  In doing so, the views of the developing 
countries must be fully taken into account so  that the chances of success are increased. 
  Strategies for the better delivery of technical as sistance should be well articulated in order to 
build capacity, including capacity for negotiations.  Moreover, predictability and effective delivery of 
technical assistance is essential.  There is need  for proper design and im plementation of coherent 
programmes which end up yielding measurable be nefits for the developing countries themselves. 
  Agriculture plays a crucial role in developing countries, particularly as a practical instrument 
for poverty alleviation and economic  empowerment of the vast majority of our peoples.  While 
agriculture occupies a central theme in the econom ies of developing countries, it does not play the WT/MIN(05)/ST/104 
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 same role nor does it have the same importance in the economies of the developed world.  In Africa 
for instance, agriculture provides a livelihood for about seventy per cent (70%) of the population and 
it contributes significant percentages in terms of GDP and export earnings.  Therefore, the importance 
of agriculture in Africa in terms of food security, livelihoods, and the fight against rural poverty and 
the prevention of rural urban mi gration cannot be overstated. 
 
 Currently, trade in agriculture  is impaired by the many distorting policy measures such as 
domestic support and export subsidies.  Tariff peaks and tariff es calation also exacerbate the problem. 
There is therefore need for the elimination of all forms of expor t subsidies on agricultural products. 
However, this elimination shall be without prejudice to S&D treatment of Net Food Importing 
Developing Countries (NFIDCs) and LDCs. 
  My delegation believes that policy space and flexibilities must be provided to enable developing countries to pursue agricultural polici es that are supportive of their development goals 
such as poverty reduction and food security issu es, while ensuring improved market access for 
primary and processed agricultural products of  export interest for developing countries. 
  With respect to NAMA, there is need to agree on an approp riate formula that incorporates 
development factors and concerns that allow de veloping countries to pursue industrial policy, 
employment creation and diversification initiatives while embracing S&D treatment and the principle 
of less than full reciprocity.  This could be ach ieved through marginal tariff cuts and a longer 
implementation period. 
  Before I conclude, my delegation wishes to express its appreciation for the work undertaken 
at the WTO on small economies.  The WTO Membership should recognize that the difficulties faced by small economies warrant that these countries should  be accorded special consideration within the 
WTO system.  Meaningful and realistic measures should  be agreed upon before the conclusion of this 
Round to help address the peculiar problems of these countries to avoid their further marginalization 
in the global trading system.   In conclusion, my delegation wishes to join ot her delegations in stressing that the outcome of 
this Conference, should not lead to scaling down of the level of ambition of the Doha Work 
Programme because this is the only way to ensu re optimization of welfare gains for all. 
 
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