. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/18 
16 December 2011  
 
(11-6563) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   English 
 
  
SRI LANKA 
 
Statement by Mr Nimal Karunatilake 
Acting Director-General of Commerce 
   At the outset, let me convey the regrets of my Minister who was scheduled to be here today, but was unable to join us as planned due to certain  unforeseen circumstances.  However, he sends his 
sincere wishes for a productive meeting. 
  It gives me great pleasure to be present at this Eighth Ministerial Conference of the WTO, and reaffirm the importance Sri Lanka attaches to  the rules-based multilateral trading system. 
  In the aftermath of nearly three decades of te rrorism that was defeated in 2009, Sri Lanka is 
currently faced with the challenges of post-conflict development, in particular the improvement of 
livelihoods of people, especially in the affected ar eas.  Needless to say, international trade makes an 
increasingly important contribution in this context.   The current impasse in the Round, coupled with the bleak global economic and financial 
outlook, and other crises such as food security, ha ve directly affected the economic growth and 
development efforts of nations such as Sri Lanka, wh ich are heavily dependent on international trade. 
  It is no secret that we gather today at a deci sive juncture to find constructive solutions to the 
future of the Doha Development Agenda ( DDA).  We stress that the DDA was launched as a 
development round, and Sri Lanka underscores the importance of the development dimension as the 
core element in all areas of negotiations. 
  As a small and vulnerable economy (SVE) trading largely on MFN basis, and heavily dependent on a few key markets with limited expor ts, Sri Lanka places great importance on an early 
conclusion of the Round. 
 
 We note with serious concern the impasse witnessed in both NAMA and agriculture negotiations.  In the agriculture negotiations, Sri Lanka as an SVE and a Net Food Importing 
Developing Country (NFIDC) with relatively low ta riff bindings for almost all agricultural products, 
stresses the strong need for flexibilities to safeguard  rural development, livelihood of farmers and 
food security. 
  Sri Lanka is even more seriously concerned about the deadlock in the NAMA negotiations.  
It is imperative for us to decide upon a future pl an with a clear timeline for concluding negotiations 
for elements that were not deliverables.  Sri Lanka has always looked to this Round to provide 
enhanced market access for its key exports, which cu rrently face high tariffs and tariff peaks in its 
main markets.  The NAMA negotiations must satisfactorily address our concerns as a WT/MIN(11)/ST/18 
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  disproportionately affected country under the preference erosion issue.  As reflected in the 
NAMA Chair's Summary in the Easter Package, Sri La nka continues to echo the urgent need for a fair 
and complete solution with a faster phasing ou t period and an enhanced product coverage. 
  Sri Lanka also notes the contribution preferen tial market access programmes can make to the 
economic development of LDCs a nd other vulnerable countries.  Ho wever, we believe the guiding 
principle behind enhanced preferential market ac cess schemes, such as the GSP Plus of the EU, 
should not, by any means, be linked to foreign policy objectives of the GSP granting countries.  Instead, these programmes should be transparent, fair  and responsive to the development, financial 
and trade needs of the developing countries as re quired by the enabling clause and other relevant 
WTO decisions. 
  Sri Lanka is strongly committed to the multilate ral trading system and I consider this an 
opportunity to review the progress we have made du ring ten long years of ardent DDA negotiations.  
We, together, can make history, if the Membersh ip could overcome differences by transforming the 
political will into positive action and bridge the gaps with predictable, fair and transparent solutions, 
in an inclusive manner.   Finally, Sri Lanka believes it is the responsib ility of the Member States to provide the much 
sought political guidance to unlock the impasse and conclude the Doha Round as early as possible, for 
the benefit of the majority of the world population, belonging to poor and vulnerable economies. 
 
 Before I conclude, we, Sri Lanka, warmly welcomes the accession of Vanuatu, Samoa, the 
Russian Federation and Montenegro to the WTO family.  
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