. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/170 
17 December 2005 
 (05-6180) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY 
 
Statement by Mr Saeb Bamya
 
Assistant Under-Secretary, Ministry of National Economy  
 
(Speaking as an Observer) 
 
 
 I feel proud and humbled to be able to stand here before you today, addressing the Ministerial 
Conference of the World Trade Organization.  It is a great pleasure and an immensely precious experience for the Palestinian observer delegation to  be with you here in Hong Kong, China, where 
the Host Government made the most remarkable e fforts to make us all feel more than welcome. 
  At the outset, I wish to extend the greetings of HE President Mahmoud Abbas to all 
distinguished delegates, and to express our deep gratitude for Members' unanimous support for the 
Palestinian request for observership in the Minister ial Conference.  This is a big step for us, an 
extraordinary step – a step towards something as extraordinary as normality. 
  Palestine, despite all the challenges we face, is on its way towards normalization.  It comes as 
no surprise to you, delegates at the WTO Ministerial Conference, if I say that we consider normal, 
reliable and predictable trade relations to be a key ingredient of a normal economy.  A normal 
economy, a normal member of the international community, is what we want to be.   The Palestinian Authority is committed to the idea of an open economy and to the rule of law 
in foreign trade relations, as well as  in economic regulation generally.  Observership in the Ministerial 
Conference is an important step for Palestine on its way towards integration into the rules-based 
multilateral trading system.  We are looking forw ard to making progress on this way in due course, 
but without undue delay.   Let me take the opportunity to extend our h eartfelt congratulations to our brethren in the 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to the people and go vernment of Tonga, for their successful accession 
to the WTO.  We look up to their example, which we  hope to follow some time in the not too distant 
future.   We have a long way ahead in understanding and adopting the principles and disciplines of 
this rich and complex system.  At the same time I should note that we have been living with rules and 
agreements that integrate elements of WTO law for a long while, so not everything here is new to us.  
Palestine already is an open, business friendly economy, with what we believe are significant potentials rooted in our highly educated workfor ce and our innovative entrepreneurial spirit.  We 
already have a good deal of modernization and re form behind us.  Further stops, including a new 
Foreign Trade Act, a new Customs Law and other econom ic legislation, are under way.  But there is a 
lot more to do.  We are here to learn, and we have learnt a lot over the past few days. 
 WT/MIN(05)/ST/170 
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  We believe that progressive integration into  the WTO system will assist the Palestinian 
Authority in building capacities and know how in the fi eld of trade regulation and trade policy.  It will 
inform and shape regulatory and legislative reform in Palestine in compliance with the principles and 
the spirit of the multilateral trading system.  Even  more importantly, it will send a powerful message 
to the Palestinian private sector as well as thei r business partners abroad. It is the message of 
normalization:  Palestine is a place to do business in, and to do business with. 
  Let me come to the most important issue:  Peace.  We are convinced that the principles and disciplines of the WTO, that our integration into the world trading system to which you invited us, will assist in building peace in our region, to whic h the Palestinian Authority is firmly committed.  
We recognize – and know from experience – that tr ade barriers can be as burdensome to a society and 
its development as political or physical barriers.  We  are currently working hard with all our partners, 
bilaterally, regionally and globally, to remove unnecessary barriers to Palestinian trade – and by that I 
mean both inbound and outbound trad e in goods and services.  For us, WTO rules and disciplines, but 
even more the spirit behind the system they form, are first and foremost an  opportunity, an incentive, 
an inspiration.  We are willing to take on the oblig ations they represent, and we are looking forward to 
enjoying the rights they entail.   A normal, developing, peaceful and open Palestin e, integrated into the international trading 
system, is our goal.  Thank you again for supporting us on our way towards its realization.  
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