. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/28 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6578) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   French 
 
  
BENIN 
 
Statement by H.E. Ms Madina Sephou 
Minister of Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises 
 
  I first wish to congratulate the WTO Secretariat on its excellent preparation and on ensuring that our work runs smoothly, and to express my gra titude, and that of my delegation, to the authorities 
of the host country for this Conference, Switzerland. 
  My delegation endorses the statements made by Bangladesh, Kenya and Mauritius on behalf 
of the least developed countries (LDCs), the African  Group, and the African, Caribbean and Pacific 
Group of States (ACP), respectively.  
 The current world climate, characterized by th e serious monetary and fi nancial crisis and the 
slowdown in global economic activity, has given rise  to inward-looking and protectionist tendencies - 
tendencies which must be prevented or curtailed.   Now more than ever, the WTO must show responsibility and originality in meeting the 
challenges it faces as a body that promotes and guarantees a viable and fair multilateral trading 
system.   It has to be acknowledged, however, that an objective and pragmatic review of the state of 
progress in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA ) negotiations gives cause for only cautious 
optimism as regards the ability of our Organiza tion to meet these challenges effectively. 
 
 We must therefore redouble our efforts and, with  a strong political will and a spirit of shared 
responsibility, do our utmost to overcome the cu rrent difficulties.  This includes combating any 
resurgence of protectionism and plurilate ralism as a substitute for multilateralism. 
 
 To this end, there is an immediate and im perative need to put the conclusion of the 
Doha Round, in its multilateral framework and with  special emphasis on the development dimension, 
at the centre of our concerns.   While remaining attached to the core principle of the single undertaking, we must quickly 
forge a consensus on the appropriate implementati on of paragraph 47 of the Doha Declaration by 
providing, within the context of an "early harvest",  immediate responses to the concerns of the most 
vulnerable countries, most notably through the resolu tion of issues in the so-called "LDC package" 
and the operationalization of effective special and differential treatment in favour of developing 
countries.  
 This would be a practical way of giving conc rete shape to the commitments set forth in the 
Doha Declaration, which recognizes not only that "International trade can play a major role in the WT/MIN(11)/ST/28 
Page 2  
 
  promotion of economic development and the alleviati on of poverty", but "the need for [everyone] to 
benefit from the […] welfare gains that the multilateral trading system generates".   Cotton is, now more than ever, a pressing issue for the WTO, and the Organization must, at the risk of losing its credibility, find a quick an d fair solution to this issue which has remained 
pending since it was first raised in 2003. 
  My delegation fully associates itself with the st atement made by Burkina Faso on behalf of 
the C4, which calls for this issue to be resolved .  It must be resolved in accordance with the 
Hong Kong mandate and on the basis of the work alr eady carried out and consolidated in the Revised 
Draft Modalities for Agriculture of 6 December 2008. 
  Like the representatives of other African cott on-producing countries, I once again appeal to 
all the cotton stakeholders to find a definitive solu tion to this problem.  It is imperative that the 
resolution of this matter be included among the pr iority issues for which urgent and immediate 
responses must be found at the conclusion of our work. 
  I take this opportunity to commend the holding of the Third Global Review of Aid for Trade last July, as well as the preparation of a work programme for the biennium 2012-2013.   I call upon all the stakeholders to renew thei r commitment to the initiative and to increase 
their involvement in its implementation. 
  There appears to be a tendency among the Memb ers of this Organization to favour the reform 
of the internal functioning of the WTO or even the broadening of its remit to include so-called 
"21
st century" issues. 
 
 For Benin, the first and real 21st century issue - the most urgent one, to which all efforts must 
be directed - is, and will continue to be, the DDA, the conclusion of which, postponed time and time 
again, remains pending.  Moreover, any reform  of the WTO must aim to consolidate the 
Organization's role as guarantor of a symmetrical multilateral trading system, with clear and uniform 
rules that effectively apply to all. 
 
 The task is an arduous one, yet the stakes dict ate that we apply ourselves to it with courage 
and, above all, do our utmost to succeed.   I therefore end my statement with this plea, while once again reiterating Benin's unwavering 
commitment to the multilateral trading system and its  willingness to contribute to its consolidation. 
 
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