. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/32 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6087) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
CAMBODIA 
 
Statement by HE Mr Cham Prasidh
 
Senior Minister, Minister of Commerce  
   On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to express my profound 
thanks and gratitude to the Swiss Federal G overnment and her people for hosting the Seventh 
WTO Ministerial Conference and the warm hospitality extended to my delegation during our stay in 
Geneva.  I would also like to sincerely thank yo u, Mr Chairman, the Director-General and the 
WTO Secretariat's staff for all the efforts, leader ship and excellent arrangements you have done for 
the Conference.   Let me begin by associating my delegation with the statement made by the 
Honourable Dr Mary Michael Nagu, Tanzania's Minist er of Industry, Trade and Marketing, on behalf 
of LDCs.   It has been four years since we met in  Hong Kong in December 2005.  Therefore, our 
Conference today is crucially important for us to discuss and review the progress made since then and 
identify what remains to be done in order to addr ess the needs and concerns  of the Membership, in 
particular exploring possible solutions to th e current global economic and financial crisis. 
  The crisis has hit Cambodia hard.  Our GDP growth has gone down from two-digit in 2007 to 7 per cent in 2008 and further down to -2.75 per cent in 2009.  Cambodia is facing a sharp decline in 
garment export, tourist arrivals and slowing down of construction sect ors, all of which are the major 
sources of employment creation.  The Government has been doing what it can do to mitigate the 
negative impacts of the global financial crisis th rough its limited budget and further reform of its 
business climate, but it could not afford to provide a big stimulus package to its economy as has been done by the developed countries.  
 Cambodia subscribes herself to the call of the LDC Group on DFQF as follows:  "Developed 
country Members facing difficulties in providing duty-free and quota-free market access to all products originating from all LDCs, shall grant e nhanced and commercially meaningful market access 
within the 97 per cent of products c overage, defined at the tariff line level, by early 2010".  "Enhanced 
and commercially meaningful market access" covers products of export interest to individual LDCs. 
 
 As a disproportionately affected country (DAC), we call for the "outcome of the 
NAMA modalities to ensure that the core principle of Special and Differential Treatment shall be 
made operational by granting all LDCs more  preferential treatment than non-LDCs". 
  The conclusion of the DDA by 2010 is one of the solutions to the crisis as the concluded 
outcomes will certainly stimulate the growth of the world economy through a better flow of goods and 
services and prevention of increased protectionism;  thus more employment can be created and WT/MIN(09)/ST/32 
Page 2  
 
  poverty reduction can be gradually reduced.  I think now is not the time for any Member to maximize 
its benefits in the DDA negotiations, but it is in fact the time for us to compromise and bring the 
Round to conclusion for the benefit of all.  This is  our collective responsibility and we must deliver it 
the soonest possible.  
 Members may note that the Dar es Salaam LDC Ministerial Declaration, as circulated in 
document WT/MIN(09)/2, called for an "early harv est" in DDA negotiations in the areas of duty-free 
quota-free (DFQF) market access for LDCs;  provision of a Services Waiver;  implementation of SDT provisions and implementation of the decision on cotton initiative as agreed in Hong Kong in 
2005.  Given the difficult time of the crisis faced by LDCs, it is hoped that Members will provide their 
full support to the "early harvest". 
  Cambodia has actually paid a great amount of MFN duties for its garment exports and 
majority of our export items are dutiable imposed by a major importing country.  This is a great 
challenge for Cambodia to compete with other big countries on this basis.  Therefore, it would be 
critically important that the implementation of DFQF by early 2010 must include major export items 
from all LDCs.  The granting of DFQF will bene fit not only the LDCs, but also benefit the 
low-income consumers of developed countries in accessing cheaper products imported from LDCs.  It 
is actually a win-win situation for all.   The issue of LDCs' Accession to the WTO is of great importance to the Membership, which 
should be adequately addressed by the Conference.  Since the WTO came into existence in 1995, only 
3 LDCs acceded to the WTO.  Currently, there are 12 LDCs constituting over 40 per cent of countries 
in the process of WTO accession who are facing great challenges due to their resource constraints and the complicated accession process.  
 In this regard, I call upon WTO Members to pr ovide their full support in the implementation 
of the Phnom Penh Round Table Statement as contained in document WT/MIN(09)/1 and Add.1, which called for a greater role for the Director-Gener al in the accession process, strict respect of the 
2002 LDC Accession Guidelines and increased tec hnical and financial support for acceding and 
acceded LDCs.  The implementation will help speed up the LDCs' accession to the WTO. 
 
 The conclusion of the DDA by 2010 is one of the solutions to the crisis as the concluded 
outcomes will certainly stimulate the growth of the world economy through a better flow of goods and 
services and the prevention of increased protectionism.  I wish to emphasize that the conclusion of the 
DDA Round by 2010 is a MUST .  Further delay may put the multilate ral trading system in jeopardy.  
I remain optimistic that this can be done if larg e Members, especially our developed Members, can 
show their leadership and exercise their maximum flexibility to resolve the remaining differences in 
the DDA negotiations.   Another point I want to make is that the increased provision of financial support by the 
development partners to LDCs th rough various mechanisms including Aid for Trade and EIF is really 
needed during the global financial crisis in orde r to help contribute to the recovery of the 
LDCs economies.  Your continued fi nancial support in this regard is  highly valuable and appreciated. 
  On a final note, Cambodia would like to request, on the basis of the Phnom Penh Round Table Statement of September 2009, that Director-General Pascal Lamy should present an Annual Report at the December General Council on WTO accessions-related developments in 2009, focusing 
in particular on LDCs' accessions. 
 
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