. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/12 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6061) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
UNITED NATIONS 
 
MESSAGE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, MR. BAN KI-MOON 
 
Delivered by Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General,
 
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  
  
 It is a pleasure to greet the Ministers a nd others attending this important conference. 
  Over the past year, policy makers have made  great efforts to mitigate the damage being 
inflicted by the global economic and financial crisis.  Those efforts ha ve reduced the threat of another 
Great Depression. The resilience of some emerging economies, particularly Brazil, China and India, 
has been particularly encouraging.  
 
However, we are all aware of the toll that multiple global crises are having, especially on the 
most vulnerable communities.  The number of unemployed in 2009 could reach 59 million, 70 per cent of them in developing countries.  One billion pe ople lack access to food.  Global trade could fall 
by 11 per cent this year.  Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 could be 
compromised. 
 
We must do better at managing the global economic system, and at ensuring open and stable 
markets and widely shared gains for all.  That m eans we must carefully consider the recommendations 
of the UN Conference on the World Financial and Ec onomic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, 
held last June.  It means ambitious and concrete  measures to combat climate change at the UN 
Conference in Copenhagen next week.  And it mean s a strong and sustainable recovery that creates 
decent jobs.   Trade has a key role to play.  Expanding inte rnational trade remains a key component of the 
development agenda of the United Nations.  I urge this ministerial conference to reaffirm its 
commitment to the open multilateral trading system , and to the WTO as the forum for strengthening 
that system.    
It is deeply troubling that, in response to the crisis, a number of countries have resorted to 
protectionist measures. Such actions disproportio nately harm the development efforts of poorer 
countries, risk embedding a corrosive culture of prot ectionism, and, as history shows, likely to shrink 
global trade and injure all stakeholders.  Such prot ectionist pressures need to be resisted, whichever 
lens they are viewed through: local, national or globa l. In the same vein, all forms of trade-distorting 
subsidies need to be eliminated as soon as possible.     
Over the years, the WTO has been invaluable  in advancing freer trade among nations.  But 
there is room for improvement, in particular to ma ke it more inclusive in responding to the needs of 
the weak and vulnerable countries.  This requires a re vival in trade and financial flows. But above all WT/MIN(09)/12 
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  we need a speedy conclusion to the Doha Round, w ith strong and meaningful  developmental content 
for developing countries, in particular the least deve loped.  This is critical.  So is aid for trade, a 
promising initiative that must complement any trade deal.   I look forward to working with you to achieve an open, equitable, rule-based, predictable and 
non-discriminatory multilateral trading and financial system that delivers tangible development gains 
to developing countries.  In that spirit of pa rtnership, I offer my best wishes for a successful 
conference.  
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