. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/111 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6862) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original: Spanish 
 
  
EL SALVADOR 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr Mario Hernández 
Deputy Minister of Economy 
  
I would like to thank the Swiss Government for its hospitality, the Director-General of the 
Organization and you, Mr Chairman, for preparing and conducting this meeting. 
 
This Ministerial Conference is taking place during a time of great economic uncertainty, 
which compromises the economic and social developm ent of our peoples, especially in the developing 
countries.   This is why, Excellencies, as Ministers in char ge of trade, we have a responsibility, a mandate 
and an obligation to send strong messages and seek eff ective policies so that trade, based on a set of 
rules, is a mechanism that generates employment a nd well-being - in other words, so that trade makes 
a decisive contribution to the development of our peoples.   El Salvador is a country whose share in intern ational trade is very small, which is why it 
values and stresses the importance of this Organization and its rules in containing protectionist trends 
that restrict or distort trade.  At the same time, we recognize Members'  legitimate needs for 
development in order to addr ess this type of situation. 
  We recognize that the WTO is not limited to th e Doha Round.  It is therefore important to 
strengthen the ordinary work that is carried out  in each of its bodies in order to improve the 
administration, observance and implementation of the current Agreements and to consolidate the 
dispute settlement mechanism so that the de veloping countries can make better use of it. 
  It is imperative that the WTO maintain th e foundations on which it was established.  Given 
the changes that the world is confronting, we ag ree that we should begin reflecting on trade-related 
issues, as long as the existing mandates and guidelines, which form the basis of this Organization, are 
respected.   Development should continue to  guide this Organization as the ultimate goal of Members in 
all of its endeavours.  We support reviving the Committee on Trade and Development's monitoring 
activities regarding special and differential treat ment provisions.  We look favourably on any 
initiative aimed at strengthening these provisions and making them more effective.   We regret not having met the objectives that we set ourselves in the Doha Round after so many years of hard work, with a view to creating greater trade openness that would benefit the developing countries in particular.  We are aware that there are serious challenges to meeting these 
objectives in the short term, but reiterate and rea ffirm our commitment to this agenda, as well as our WT/MIN(11)/ST/111 
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  willingness to explore new approaches in order to make progress on the basis of consensus, while 
respecting the Doha mandate and the mu ltilateralism contained in that mandate. 
 
We agree that there ar e areas in which there has been a significant amount of convergence and 
where it is possible to obtain early agreements, which is a situation that we must promote and 
encourage.  However, any outcome must revolve around development, be reached through consensus, 
and respect the single undertaking principle.  
I would like to express our readiness to explore new approaches in order to advance the 
agenda, as long as they are reached through consen sus and as long as development remains at the 
forefront, within the Doha mandate and on the basi s of multilateralism.  Furthermore, any process we 
undertake should respect the principles of transparen cy, full participation and inclusiveness, and take 
the interests of all Members, especially the smallest and most vulnerable, into account. 
  We are convinced that meeting the objectives that we have set ourselves will require the 
political commitment of all Members, especially the leaders of major players.  Without this key 
ingredient, we cannot envision a solution to the challenges that we have been facing up until now, 
despite the efforts that are being made to evaluate new negotiating approaches. 
  We reaffirm the importance of the small ec onomies' initiative and note the progress that has 
been made within the framework of the Work Programme and the d ecision that we will adopt at the 
end of this conference, urging Members to reiterate  their commitment and to continue working and 
promoting the integration of these Members in world trade.   I would like to reiterate our support for the Ai d-for-Trade initiative to continue building the 
capacities of Members, as we see trade not as an end in itself, but as a means to achieve the broad and 
inclusive development of our peoples. 
  I would like to express our serious concern over initiatives aimed at multilateralizing the 
commitments undertaken in regional trade agreements , as these agreements have different objectives 
and outcomes.  We could not, therefore, s upport this type of initiative at this time. 
 
 Furthermore, we do not agree with initiatives aimed at reducing policy space by freezing 
customs duties at their current levels, or with an y measure that goes beyond the current Agreements. 
  Regarding food safety, we welcome the proposal put forward by the net food-importing developing countries to establish a work programme in this area.  We believe that any work 
programme, as well as the disciplines agreed within  its framework, must take into account the 
difficulties reflected in this proposal, which countries like El Salvador also face given our similarities. 
  This meeting should end with our commitment to continue using trade as a tool that contributes to our development.  El Salvador is confident that we w ill be able to agree on guidelines 
that will direct this Organization's work from 2012 onwards, on the basis of transparency and 
inclusiveness, and with the necessary leadership of the major players. 
  I would like to take this opportunity to welc ome Montenegro, the Russian Federation, Samoa 
and Vanuatu to this Organization.  
 Finally, I wish to associate myself with th e statements made on behalf of the small 
economies, the G-33, the Informal Group of Developi ng Countries and the "Friends of Development" 
group, and ask that these be included in the minutes of this meeting.  
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