. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/18 
15 December 2005 
 (05-6001) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
MINISTERS’ STATEMENT ON MFN TRADE LIBERALIZATION   
 
 
Communication from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, 
 
Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Pakistan and Uruguay  
  
 The following communication, dated 15 December 2005, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegations of Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Ri ca, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, 
Pakistan and Uruguay.   
_______________ 
  
 The Governments of Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, 
Paraguay, Pakistan, and Uruguay reaffirm that m oving towards MFN trade through the substantive 
reduction of import duties and other trade barriers,  is a fundamental objective of multilateral trade 
negotiations and of the WTO.   The elimination of discriminatory treatment in the international trade 
relations is an essential goal as well.   
 
 This accomplishment would assure that inte rnational trade contributes to enhance the 
economic growth and development of all Members.  Substantive market access improvements would 
allow developing countries to benefit from freer trade.      The mandate to address the is sue of erosion of long-standing preferences is a commitment to 
find ways to help those countries that may face chal lenges as a result of the trade liberalization outcome 
of the Round; due to their heavy dependence on preferen tial treatment. Preference erosion is inherent to 
the correction of discriminatory treatment. It is inherent to the joint progress towards MFN trade.  
Therefore, the mandate on preference erosion, could not been interpreted as a mandate to maintain the distortions created by preferences nor to delay or reduce market access results when it erodes 
preferential margins.    
 Our Governments reiterate that the multilateral trade negotiations are not  about finding ways to 
preserve distortions, such as discriminatory prefer ences, nor about establishing longer periods or lesser 
results. The erosion of non-reciprocal  as well as reciprocal preferences is an unavo idable outcome of the 
multilateral libera lization process. What's  more, it is part of the goals that motivated our support to the 
launching of the Round since we are conv inced it will favor all WTO Members.  
 
 Our Governments reaffirm that  the greatest contribution the Round could make to developing 
countries will come from ambitious results on market ac cess, which will allow them to benefit from it.  
  Solutions to the erosion of long-standing pref erences cannot be the continuation of the existing 
discrimination amongst developing countries. Th e Doha Development Round must not depart from its WT/MIN(05)/18 
Page 2  
 
mandate of achieving substantial ma rket access for all developing countries in order to live up to its 
name.   Solutions must come in a way that addresses th e needs of Members who will face difficulties as 
a result of the erosion of their preferences. We ar e strongly committed to suppor t an ambitious financial 
solution that would help these Members on the supply side, and it should come in the form of Aid for 
Trade from international financial institutions. 
 
__________