. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/115 
16 December 2005 
 (05-6121) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
FINLAND 
 
Statement by HE Ms Mari Kiviniemi
 
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development  
  
 I would like to thank the Government of H ong Kong for the excellent arrangements of the 
Sixth Ministerial Conference.  Furthermore, I would like to thank Director-General Lamy and his staff 
for the preparative work and for providing us a Dr aft Hong Kong Ministerial Text.  I would also like 
to congratulate Saudi Arabia and Tonga for co mpletion of their accession processes to the World 
Trade Organization.   The Finnish Government strongly supports early and substantial results from the Round.  Hong Kong is a crucial meeting for the whole multilateral trading system.  The Ministerial 
Conference must take decisions that will l ead the Round towards a successful conclusion. 
  Development is the key element of the Round.  The benefits of open trade policies have been 
proven both by economic studies and experience.  We fully support developing countries policies to 
integrate into international trade.  Still, trade is not  the answer to all the challenges of development.  
And all trade policy is not development policy.  Trade provides resources for national policies. 
Conversely, national policies in areas such as e ducation, employment, health, good governance, food 
security and infrastructure have links to trade, and to the multilateral trading system.  National 
policies are necessary for strengthening social we ll-being, creating decent work, and building trade 
capacity.  They form a solid basis in countries to benefit from trade, and contribute significantly to 
national welfare. 
 
 We all know that solutions to problems of trad e and development are not simple, and that they 
cannot be the same for everyone.  Finland has consistently supported searching for and finding 
solutions.  One of these is the Everything But Arms initiative of the European Union.  Others are the 
Aid for Trade initiative and work with in the Integrated Framework.  This work is very important also 
from the perspective of ownership.  I am pleased to  say that by the end of the decade Finland will 
increase its trade related development aid to 2 per cent of all aid.   Agriculture has been put into th e role of deal-maker or deal-breaker from the beginning of the 
negotiations.  Agriculture is one of the key sectors and its importance is clear.  This is why the 
European Union has conducted a historic reform on the Common Agricultural Policy.  Only some 
weeks ago the EU finalized a significant reform also in the sugar sector.  We have revised 
dramatically the domestic support re gime and made it minimally trade distorting.  This is why we 
have also placed substantial offers for the liberalizat ion of agricultural trade on the table.  We expect 
others now to do the same.  
 Agriculture is not only about trade.  Northern farmers, such as in Finland, operate in difficult 
natural conditions.  We should ackno wledge that all countries have the right and the obligation to 
provide food to their citizens.  We must also r ealise, that from the developmental perspective, the WT/MIN(05)/ST/115 
Page 2  
 
 beneficiaries of liberalization in agriculture may be quite different from those in tended.  As this is a 
development round liberalization should proceed in a way that helps those who are most in need. 
  We have so far concentrated almost exclusiv ely on development and agriculture.  But we all 
know the greatest economic benefits are to be gained  in industrial goads and in services.  We need 
strong ambition in industrial goods, also on non-tariff barriers, and the end result must be real and 
substantial market access.  We n eed strong ambition in services as well.  These negotiations have the 
potential of bringing major increases to global gr owth, and to all Members of the World Trade 
Organization.  In addition, negotiations on Trade Facilitation are of great importance. 
 
 I believe the multilateral trading system is th e most equal and efficient way of arranging our 
commercial relations.  It is the best system not only for the major players, but for all;  small, weak or vulnerable countries.  The WTO benefits everybody.  The Sixth Ministerial Conference is a stepping 
stone on the road to the completion of the Round.  Le t us take this step and make the Round a success. 
 
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