WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/82 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6181) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
GHANA 
 
Statement by the Honourable Ms Hanna Tetteh
 
Minister for Trade and Industry  
   On behalf of the Ghana delegation to the Seve nth WTO Ministerial Conference, I wish to join 
other speakers before me to express our thanks a nd deep appreciation to the Government and people 
of Switzerland for the warm reception that has been  accorded us since our arrival in Geneva.  I also 
wish to commend the General Council and the WTO Secretariat for finally organizing the 
7
th Ministerial Conference at this critical j uncture of the Doha De velopment Agenda (DDA) 
negotiations.  My delegation wishes to acknowledge the personal inter est and untiring efforts of the 
Director-General in getting us to this stage.  
 In 2001, we set ourselves the task of emba rking on conducting far-reaching reforms to the 
multilateral trading system.  We therefore la unched the Doha Round and unanimously placed 
development issues at the core of the negotiations.  We gave ourselves the mandate of concluding the 
Round in five years.  Eight years on, very little commitment has been exhibited, especially by our 
developed counterparts to ensure the realization of the development goals that we have set for 
ourselves to the benefit of the entire Membership of this Organization.  Indeed, our hopes were 
buoyed by the fact that a realistic, fair and equita ble rule-based multilateral trading system, capable of 
delivering the development imperatives that would inure to the benefit of especially, our countries 
would be met within the set deadline for the Doha  Development Agenda.  Our countries continue to 
devote their rather meagre resources - human and fi nancial - to participate in the negotiations by 
pressing their concerns home in the hope that we would reach our common goal of a new global 
trading relations, measures that not only secure th e maximization of global growth and development 
but also and more importantly, a system that en sures equity in the rules that would spur the 
marginalized and poor Members to participate more  effectively in the multilateral trading system. 
  Indeed, the reasons that led us to launch this very important trade round are even more 
relevant now, than ever.  We are living witnesses to the current financial crisis and disturbing 
developments in the global economy - developments th at threaten to derail the very objectives of the 
negotiations, that is, improved global trade th rough enhanced market access and global economic 
growth.  Our rather fragile economi es are the hardest hit as there is serious contraction in demand for 
products of export interest to our countries.  Productivity has dipped w ith its attendant loss of jobs.  
The chasm between our economies, that is, the de veloped on the one hand and the developing on the 
other, is getting wider by the day.  Of particular  concern to my delegation is the re-surfacing of 
protectionism, a phenomenon which if not checked would have dire consequences on the negotiations 
as it is capable of rolling back the rather m odest gains chalked over the years.  The raison d'etre  for 
the establishment of the GATT is still relevant t oday.  The provisions in the preamble to the 
GATT/WTO must continue to serve as a beacon for the negotiations. 
 WT/MIN(09)/ST/82 
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   Although this Conference is not a negotiating session, it is important to highlight a few of the 
challenges that continue to confront our trade and the urgent need to address them in ensuring 
effective market access for our export products.   Most of our economies, particularly, those in A frica continue to operate on the margins of the 
multilateral trading system as a result of the inequi ty in the operation of the rules.  Our economies 
continue to hinge on agriculture, a critical sector th at constitutes the backbone of our economies.  This 
important sector however remains not only uncompe titive but also near coll apse in some African 
countries as a result of subsidies that the developed countries continue to devote to their agricultural 
sector.  Indeed, no single change in this trade round would make a greater contribution to 
development and poverty alleviation than fully openi ng the markets of prosperous countries to goods 
produced by poor ones.  Consequently, Ghana joins other developing countries in echoing their sentiment in ensuring that an agreement in Agri culture must lead to commercially meaningful 
enhanced market access for products from devel oping countries, through substantial reduction of 
trade-distorting subsidies, and adequate flexibility that allows developing countries to shield products 
important for food security, including simple safeguard s to deal with import surges.  Only balanced 
and ambitious liberalization in all three pillars of the agriculture ne gotiations will genuinely guarantee 
secured open markets.   On NAMA, the DDA negotiations must also provide commercially meaningful new market access opening for our products.  Tariff peaks as  well as tariff escalation which serves as a 
disincentive for industrialization should be effec tively addressed.  It has been observed that much 
work has been done in certain areas such as the formula and the treatment of unbound lines.  But 
much less work has been done on issues such as flexibilities and less than full reciprocity, which are 
to await the resolution of the so-called key issues.  Gh ana is very concerned that there is the real risk 
that the genuine interests of Memb ers in these areas will not receive th e much needed attention.  Non-
tariff barriers, which currently constitute the bulk of protectionism in the future, must also be 
comprehensively and effectively tackled.   The DDA is the only opportunity in the near term to improve the multilateral rules on which 
business depends.  Effective trade rules need to be de signed to make trade really work as an engine of 
growth and human development.  Clear and simplified rules govern ing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy 
actions that can be applied by all developing countries are vital for a level playing field. 
  Indeed, the ACP states are currently negotiatin g Economic Partnership Agreements with the 
EU within very vague parameters.  With the proliferation of Regional Trade Agreements among developed and developing countries, it has now become urgent for the need to reactivate negotiations 
as prescribed by the Doha mandate, to "clari fy and improve" disciplines of Article XXIV of 
GATT 1947 in order to allow for e nhanced special and differential treatment and flexibilities for 
developing and least developed countries that take  into account the specific needs and levels of 
development   The development dimension is the funda mental premise to ensure a balanced 
Doha Development Round.  To Ghana, any true assessment of the Round should be based on how 
development issues such as SDT, implementation issues, the situation of LDCs, small economies, 
commodity issues, technical assistance, capacity build ing, technology transfer  and trade, debt and 
finance have been translated into fair international trade benefiting developing countries.  Given that 
our countries face a myriad of supply-side constrai nts which prevent us from taking advantage of the 
market access openings, the pledges made by the de veloped countries to substantially increase aid so 
as to enable us improve our participation in the multila teral trading system is particularly welcome.  It 
is the expectation of Ghana and other developing coun tries that new, predictable, stable, adequate and 
sustainable financial resources would be made available in the form of Aid for Trade.  Although an ambitious Aid-for-Trade package is considered vital to equip developing countries to reap the  WT/MIN(09)/ST/82 
 Page 3 
 
 
  opportunities of the global market, it should not be  considered as substitute for an ambitious 
Doha Round.   Ghana strongly supports the clarion call for the early conclusion of the DDA with fair, balanced and equitable rules.  Transparency, inclus iveness, equitable and balanced rules must remain 
the cornerstone of the multilateral trading system.  We have come to a cross-road and we have no 
excuses for the slow progress in the negotiations.  At th is time of uncertainty in the global markets, an 
early conclusion of the DDA will serve as a big stimulant in restoring calm and confidence in the markets.  Ghana is therefore prepared to play its part in securing a comprehensive deal.  We are 
confident that the Members of this august ins titution will rise up to the challenge and make the 
necessary compromises through constructive engageme nt with the view to paving the way for the 
conclusion of the Round.   In conclusion, abandoning the Doha Round is not an option.  The DDA is an enormous 
challenge confronting all of us.  This should act as a catalyst to spur us on in successfully concluding 
this important Round.  Renewed political will, progress  and dynamism to confront the realities of the 
system would definitely provide the much n eeded confidence boost and make a significant 
contribution to the development of the global ec onomy.  Trade policy remains important, and it can 
play a catalyst role in aiding the world economic recovery.  The timely and successful conclusion of the Doha Round will not only restore confidence in the world trading environment, but will also strengthen the role of the multilateral trading system  in promoting developmen t, poverty alleviation, 
and ultimately the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 
 
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