. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/3 
15 December 2011  
 
(11-6534) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   English 
 
  
SINGAPORE 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr Hng Kiang Lim 
Minister of Trade and Industry 
  1. We have one clear priority for this Ministeria l Conference.  Above all else, we need to send 
an unambiguous message that the WTO continues to be strong, credible and relevant.  The global 
economic outlook remains uncertain at best.  Th e WTO's role is therefore critical, both as our 
guardian against protectionism, and as a catal yst to promote growth and development. 
2. We commend all pledges against protectionism wh ich Members have made  at various fora.  
The critical message cannot be overstated.  But we must go beyond just making pledges against protectionism.  We must walk the talk.  And this  is best done through continuing to uphold the 
WTO's role in monitoring, surveillance, notificatio ns and dispute settlement.  It is through these 
regular activities of the WTO that we achieve greater transparency of the global trading environment.  
These valuable contributions of the WTO mark its  centrality in the multilateral trading system. 
3. On the Doha Development Agenda, two years ago,  I had said that its conclusion rests on the 
questions of how and when.  Two years on, I am even more certain that we urgently need new ways to 
move the negotiations. 
4. Let us be honest.  There is no point in setting arb itrary targets, which appear to be clear steps 
but are in reality unattainable gian t leaps.  Instead we need patien ce, pragmatism, and a positive spirit, 
if we are to achieve inclusive outcomes that build trust among the Membership. 
5. After ten years, patience for an outcome may be  in short supply.  But we must also be 
pragmatic and keep an open mind.  Let us not prej udge the efficacy of any possible approach.  Let us 
adopt a positive attitude and recover the "can-do" spirit.  In the 1990s we succeeded in agreements 
such as the Information Technology Agreemen t, Financial Services Agreement, and the 
Telecommunications Agreement.  Let us  rekindle such spirit of cooperation. 
6. Singapore welcomes the decisions we will adopt in  the next few days, especially those which 
benefit the LDC members.  In our Trade and Deve lopment Session, it will be important to focus our 
minds on what it really means to fully integrate developing countries into the multilateral trading 
system. 
7. Development is the common aspiration of all Me mbers, but each of us will adopt different 
means to achieve the end.  Without continued trad e openness, and the spread of its benefits to all 
WTO Members, development would be harder.  Econom ic liberalization is not without its problems, 
but how we each respond to them, determines whether we provide conditions for real trade-led growth 
and development, or just temporary relief for an uncompetitive economy. WT/MIN(11)/ST/3 
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8. As the WTO grows in numbers with the welcomed accession of new members, it must also 
grow in strength.  We have to meet the needs of  the global trading community by promoting freer and 
more efficient trade flows.  These will provide the platform for each of us to grow our economies, 
meet our development aspirations, and li ft the global economy out of the storm. 
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