WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/73 
15 December 2005 
 (05-6044) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   French 
 
  
BURUNDI 
 
Statement by HE Mrs Denise Sinankwa
 
Minister of Trade and Industry  
   May I begin by offering warm thanks, on my  own behalf and that of the Delegation of 
Burundi, to the Government and people of Chin a for the kind welcome and hospitality we have 
received since arriving in the beautiful city of Hong Kong. 
 
May I also thank the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization, through the 
Director-General and his colleagues, for their support for the Organization and this Conference. 
 
I would also like to take the opportunity to ex tend, on behalf of the Republic of Burundi, my 
sincere congratulations to Mr Pascal Lamy on his election as head of our Organization and wish him 
every success with his new responsib ilities.  Nor can I continue without first congratulating you, 
Mr Chairman, on being chosen to oversee the work of the WTO's Sixth Ministerial Conference.  I 
have no doubt that with your e xperience and perspicacity you will steer the vessel safely into port. 
 
 For several decades, numerous countries around the world endeavoured to group together to 
stimulate economic growth by developing trade through the removal of trade barriers and the 
promotion of investment.  Despite their prolifera tion, these regional groupings did not always succeed 
in putting in place coordinated policies for the broader and more coherent liberalization of trade.  For 
this reason the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995 was greeted as a major step 
forward for the majority of the world's countries. 
 
 In the last ten years, considerable progress has been made with the further liberalization of trade.  Although there are some who view this tr ade globalization process as a new way in which the 
developed economies can dominate over the developing ones, we cannot call a halt since the system is 
designed to ensure a fair distribution of the gains and solidarity with the weakest.  This is why we 
have all agreed to meet here, not only to open our d oors even further to the world but also to claim in 
return benefits in line with our expectations.   Accordingly, the main challenges facing this meeting will be to find appropriate ways of 
controlling and regulating this globa lization process.  May the holding of this conference therefore 
serve as an opportunity for addressing the proble ms of development and in particular the 
supply-related constraints that are preventing th e least developed countries (LDCs) from taking 
advantage of market access preferences.   The goal of the multilateral trading system has always been to expand world trade and hence 
improve the living standards of the world's peoples .  However, an evaluation of the negotiations 
begun in 2001 at Doha in Qatar a nd continued in 2003 at Cancun shows that this goal is still far from 
having been achieved.  WT/MIN(05)/ST/73 
Page 2  
 
  In principle, the multilateral framework should protect the weakest and recognize the specific 
needs of the developing countries, particularly th e LDCs.  However, it appears to be the powerful, 
with a solid economic structure, that are derivi ng most advantage from the multilateral framework. 
  Nevertheless, Burundi, like the other members of the LDC group, is resolutely committed to 
stressing the importance of trade in the process of growth and in the fight against poverty.  If it is to 
succeed in integrating its trade into the regi onal and multilateral trading system, three major 
challenges must be met.   The first of these challenges is that of ensu ring peace and internal security and creating an 
environment favourable for investment  and the development of trade. 
  The end of the transitional regime in Bu rundi, the establishment of new institutions on 
26 August 2005 and the integration of  former enemy combatants into  the defence and security corps 
have already borne fruit and offer a solid guarantee that  Burundi is truly on the path to lasting peace.  
Accordingly, we again call upon our friends who ha ve supported us throughout the peace negotiations 
to continue providing their support dur ing this period of reconstruction. 
  The second challenge is to restore the infrast ructure and the traditional trade networks.  
Thanks to the quality of its infrastructure and its geographical position, Burundi was in the process of 
becoming a Central African hub.  We still entertain this justifiable ambition and are hoping for the 
support of our friends in achieving our objectives. 
  The third challenge is to revive producti on and encourage exports in order to position 
ourselves on the regional and international markets.  
 Thus, in keeping with the liberalization ob jectives set out in the Marrakesh Agreement 
establishing the WTO, Burundi has already laid out the framework of its trade policy;  however, the 
implementation of that policy must take into account  the timetables fixed in terms of its development 
priorities.   Unfortunately, the benefits which Burundi ought to be deriving from the application of the 
WTO Agreement have not yet materialized, as is th e case with most of the other countries in similar 
circumstances.   It should again be pointed out that the strength of the multilateral trading system resides in its fairness.  If it works to the advantage of only some  of its Members, it will be unlikely to endure over 
the long term. 
  It is therefore essential that the Sixth Conf erence consider the best ways of enabling all 
Members, and in particular the LDCs, to obtain their fair share of the benefits of the system.   In the case of Burundi, we have identified various initiatives which should be taken into 
consideration, namely: 
 
− support for the efforts of Members, and in particular the LDCs including Burundi, to 
integrate into the regional and world economies, chiefly by supporting investment with financial assistance and technical aid; 
− capacity building for government depa rtments responsible for supervising 
trade-related activities; 
− improved training in trade negotiations fo r the managerial staff of government 
departments, private companies and NGOs. 
  WT/MIN(05)/ST/73 
 Page 3 
 
 
  These initiatives would be supplemented by: 
 
− facilitated market access for LDC products; 
− the introduction of rules of origin that take account of the products and industrial 
capacity of the poorest countries; 
− the elimination of export subsidies for developed country products that compete 
unfairly with the products of developing countries; 
− the introduction of special and differen tial treatment that takes account of the 
economic circumstances and special situ ations of the countries concerned. 
 
The implementation of the commitments undertak en by developing countries should allow for 
transitional periods that fit in with their economic adjustment programmes.  
 Thus, the delegation of Burundi would like the Conference to pay special attention to the 
concerns expressed by the developing countries in th e course of the various meetings held since the 
Doha initiative and up to the present sessions.   It appeals to the participants in the Sixth Ministerial Conference to agree on: 
 
− the views expressed by the LDCs in the Livingstone (Zambia) Declaration during 
their meeting on 20-27 June 2005; 
− the position of the Ministers of Trade of the landlocked countries participating in the 
Asuncion (Paraguay) platform for the D oha Round, held on 9-10 August 2005 in 
Paraguay; 
− the results of the work done by the LDC experts at their meeting held during the first 
week of October 2005 in Geneva; 
− the adjustment of the joint World Bank and International Monetary Fund document 
finalized on 12 September 2005 to incorporate the concerns expressed by the LDCs. 
 
We hope that the current negotiations will su cceed in smoothing out the differences between 
delegations and that countries will agree on suppor t measures to help the poor countries to develop 
their trade.   We are confident that Hong Kong, a culturally diverse and economically thriving city, 
will have a positive influence on the work of the Conference. 
 
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