. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/86 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6167) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
SAINT LUCIA 
 
Statement by the Honourable Mr Rufus Bousquet
 
Minister of External Affairs, International Trade and Investment  
   I would like to begin by extending my deepest appreciation to the Government of Switzerland 
for hosting this important Conference in serene Geneva and also express my thanks to the 
Director-General for his tireless work in the stewardship of the WTO and the DDA Negotiations over 
the past four years.   We meet at what can only be described as a major cross-roads in the modern economic 
history of the world, where the economic architecture and main orthodoxies that presided over the expansion of global capital flows and international trade over the past two decades are now being 
called into question.  The much-promoted Washington Consensus on economic and trade 
liberalization now lie exposed as a flawed thesis ri ddled with contradictions  and inconsistencies. 
  The architects of the so-called "new-economy" d esigned a system structured on the tenants of 
economic liberalism, where open markets, privati zation and a general receding of the State were 
touted as a necessary precursor to poverty reduc tion, enhanced competitiveness and export lead 
growth.   It is in this context that international tr ade had become an enabler of development and a 
harbinger of prosperity for developing countries.  As you know, the relations hip between development 
and the multilateral system has hit major roadblocks  over the past 24 months.  The economic crisis, 
with its roots in lands far away from the shores of  Saint Lucia has turned the developmental hopes and 
aspirations of a people into deferred ambitions.   The advocates of liberalism promised, that the liberalization of tariffs, the dismantlement of 
commodity regimes and adherence to the multilatera l trading system would strengthen the ability of 
small economies to compete in a global economy.  We  were told that economic liberalization coupled 
with trade liberalization would unleash the latent  economic potential of sm all vulnerable economies 
like that of Saint Lucia.  Despite swallowing the bi tter pill of economic liberalization and despite our 
attempts to adhere to our obliga tions under the Marrakesh Agreement, we are still in search of the 
economic promise land. 
 
 Interestingly, the global economic crisis has oc casioned a rethink of the orthodoxy of the free 
market.  With some of the apostles of economic liberalism now becoming disciples of State action in 
the economic sphere under the guise of stimulus packages and support.   It has been widely reported that some of th e most fervent promoters of the free market, now 
apply robust, and sometimes trade-distorting mark et interventions while their counterparts in WT/MIN(09)/ST/86 
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  developing countries continue to languish with su rging unemployment, silent factory shells and 
anemic domestic sectors.   Mr Chair, this begs the question:  "Do the ru les of the multilateral system operate differently 
for small countries … than for the powerful?" 
 
 Mr Chair again, while the promoters of economic liberalism and the multilateral trading system seem disposed to utilize an y and all policy interventions to support critical sectors;  the weak, 
mono-crop economies, dependent on crucial markets for their livelihood are sacrificed on the altar of supposedly sacred multilateral rules. 
 
 As we collectively look to the future, ar e small - resource poor - developing countries 
required to sacrifice more?  Will we continue to stare at the Doha Mandate without the requisite 
resolve to adhere to the development mandate which promises all countries:  big and small, rich and 
poor the opportunity to equally enjoy the fruits of the multilateral trading system. 
 
 Are all of our factories to grind to a halt, are our fertile fields to all go fallow and our farmers 
to grow poorer in deference to an ideology that ev en the authors reject when it is expedient to do so? 
  The multilateral trading system can play a meaningful role in development if only we remain true to the founding principles of this august body.   Will drafting the Marrakesh Agreement, the 
founders recognized that the field of trade and ec onomic endeavour should be conducted with a view 
to:  
• Raising living standards; 
• ensuring full employment; 
• and (engendering the conditions to enable) large and steady growth of real income. 
 Finally, the role of the multilateral system  in the current enviro nment should support the 
developmental goals and aspi rations and critically the needs of the smallest and most vulnerable!!  To 
this end, we call for the following: 
 
• Operationally effective special and differential treatment; 
• additional and accessible resources under the rubric of Aid for Trade to attenuate 
against supply-side constraints; 
• binding commitments on the part of devel oped countries to provide capacity-building 
support for the implementation of commitmen ts to arise from negotiations on trade 
facilitation. 
 Above all, any meaningful, solution on banan as must take account of the developmental 
concerns of all ACP members and in partic ular the smallest and most vulnerable. 
  In concluding we believe that strict adhe rence orthodoxy must give rise to a pragmatic 
approach that takes account of the economic and structural limitations of all Members!! 
 
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