. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/14 
13 December 2005 
 (05-5930) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
   
STATEMENT BY H.E. MS. AMINA MOHAMED 
CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
 
  Thank you for the honour and opportunity to addr ess you and to be part of this Sixth Session 
of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China.    
 On behalf of the WTO membership, I would lik e to express sincere gratitude to the authorities 
of Hong Kong, China for undertaking the monumental task of hosting this Ministerial Conference.  
This meeting is auspicious.  It takes place in a tr uly great trading city.  Hong Kong, China shows with 
outstanding clarity the benefits of trade.  It seems to  me that this is the perfect "launching pad" for the 
completion of the Doha Developmen t Agenda (DDA).  In the past few months, global attention at 
numerous international meetings has been sensati onal and unprecedented.  Every serious organization 
has underlined the importance of the DDA and this Hong Kong Ministerial meeting.  Every serious 
organization has recalled the purpose of the DDA – to expand the trading opportunities of the 
multilateral trading system as broadly as possible, a nd especially to the weakest, the most vulnerable, 
and the least-developed countries, who – as we al l know – so badly need the boost that improved 
trading opportunities can give to their prospects for poverty reduction, sustainable growth and, indeed, 
development.  To do any less, at this meeting, is  inconceivable and would be a collective wrong, at its 
severest, against the cause of poverty reduction and de velopment.  All serious  delegations now must 
lead – here and now – to achieve the goals we ha ve set for this meeting.  The business of this 
Ministerial meeting is serious.     The Doha Trade Round is, at its core, a deve lopment agenda.  Develo pment considerations, 
therefore, must, be at the centre of negotiations.  This explicitly involves significant improvements in 
market access across all areas of th e negotiations; reviewed, clarified and balanced rules; and strong 
commitments on aid for trade.     Clearly, for market access, the most important  development component is in agriculture and 
cotton, non-agricultural market access and services  as well as in other negotiations under the Single 
Undertaking.  As such, the challenge for the memb ership on access to markets is clear – these are the 
areas where we need to make urgent substantive prog ress in order to deliver on development.  At the 
same time, we need to bear in mind that trade re form is long-term reform, requiring patience, trade-
offs, pacing and sequencing.  
 
 Technical assistance, capacity building and Aid for Trade are also vital to developing countries to utilize the trading opportunities that will emerge.  More specifically to overcome 
constraints in infrastructure, improve product qualit y and develop the necessary link to international 
supply chains.  
 As this Sixth Ministerial Conference begins, we  still have considerable  grounds to cover.  
There are significant differences in positions on so me key issues in agriculture, NAMA and services.  
However, I believe that Ministers, with some  political will, can move us closer to our collective goal WT/MIN(05)/14 
Page 2  
 
of finishing the Round before the end of next year.  It was right to frame this Sixth Ministerial as a 
Negotiating Conference.  But, this Ministerial Conf erence is also about a critical need for collective 
leadership on the DDA and a collec tive commitment to a successful outcome.  It cannot be otherwise.  
Once upon a time, there was unfortunate celebration wh en Ministerials failed.  Certainly not now, not 
here, and not on the DDA.  The WTO membership a nd the international community look to trade 
Ministers to make this meeting count.  I am convin ced that we all share a determination to strengthen 
the multilateral trading system.  This is the moment to  do so.  The trading syst em is much more than 
trade, as we all know.  It is also about peace and se curity.  In negotiating the micro details, we also 
need to keep our eyes on the big picture.  Because the Doha Trade Round is an integral part of the 
global agenda, it is essential that we lay the grou ndwork for the completion of this Round by the end 
of next year, as we edge ever closer to the tim e-frame of 2015 set for the Millennium Development 
Goals (MDGs).   I have the honour to report to you, Minist ers, that Members have worked assiduously in 
Geneva to prepare for this Conference.  Based on the "bottom-up" approach and in full respect for 
transparency and inclusiveness in ev ery aspect of the process, the prep aratory process culminated in a 
unanimous agreement to forward the Draft Ministeria l Text to Ministers as a basis for their reflection 
and negotiation.  I think I can speak also for the Di rector-General when I say that we are indeed proud 
of the achievement by Members on the Draft Text, so far.  In spite of some wide differences in positions on the substance of that text, the need to  present Ministers with a workable basis for their 
deliberations and negotiations w as considered paramount by Members.  Mr. Lamy's energy and 
commitment are legendary.  I now have seen it firs t hand and at close quarters.  At the risk of 
embarrassment to him, I pay tribute to him for hi s single-minded dedication to  the Doha Development 
Agenda and in his search for convergence.  I would also like to thank Minister John Tsang, Chairman 
of the Conference, for his support throughout this y ear.  His gentle but firm encouragement was felt 
by all of us and we are grateful for it.   
 
 One week ago, Members took two historic decisi ons.  First, they decided to amend the TRIPS 
Agreement, making permanent the 2003 August D ecision on patents and public health.  Second, 
Members also agreed to extend the transition period for LDCs’ implementation of the TRIPS Agreement.  While success on these two Decisions seem ed, at times, to be elusive, compromise and 
the common determination of Members prevailed. 
 
 Part of the challenge that our Organization faces is that our temporary set-backs are publicly magnified and our successes are unheralded.  Nevertheless,  what matters is that we must continue to 
chalk up our gains, to forge ahead collectively.  An d I believe we can do it again here in Hong Kong, 
China.   
 
 As we turn to set our minds to the hard nego tiations that will follow in the next few days, I 
urge individual delegations, as well as different gro upings, to begin to explore the compromises that 
must be made, in order to achieve sensible outcome s that will provide impetus for the completion of 
the Round.  The spirit of compromise and flexibility  emerged in Geneva in the last few weeks of 
negotiations.  This made the Draft Text before Ministers possible.  I am hopeful that this spirit will 
pervade our work here as well.  We require the leader ship of Ministers.  We all know that there is no 
credible alternative to the rules-based system.  I am  convinced that we can share the determination to 
strengthen it.  There is no better way to demonstrate this commitment than to act decisively at this 
Ministerial Conference.  
 On my part, as Chairman of the General Counc il, I will spare no efforts, Mr. Chairman, to 
assist you and the Ministers and the Members in th e task of making this Conference a success.   
 
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