. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/76 
15 December 2005 
 (05-6040) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   Spanish 
 
  
MEXICO 
 
Statement by HE Mr Sergio García de Alba
 
Minister of the Economy  
   Four years ago, when the Doha Developmen t Agenda negotiations were launched, Mexico 
committed itself to greater trade liberalization, em phasizing the incorporation of new production units 
in the export sector, particularly small- and medium-s ized enterprises.  We support the view that the 
WTO agenda should adequately address the interest s of the developing countries and face up to 
protectionist pressures without going back on the opening that has been achieved.   The negotiations have not advanced as far as we  would have liked.  This sixth session of the 
Ministerial Conference will not result in an agre ement on modalities in agriculture or NAMA or in 
any firm agreements on services;  nor will an y significant progress be made on anti-dumping 
measures or fishing subsidies.   However, it is possible to achieve positive results that take into account the interests of all the 
participants.  We must strive to maintain our le vel of ambition, as any alternative would come at a 
very high price:  the weakening of the multilatera l trading system, an increase in protectionist 
measures and the spread of trade wars.  Devel oped countries would lose out, since very few could 
benefit from protectionism in those countries;  th e number of losers would run into the hundreds of 
millions.  Developing countries would lose out because  we, more than anyone else, need secure  
market access backed by a clear set of rules.  
 The main result expected from this Ministerial Conference is a "development package" that is 
particularly favourable to the least developed countries.   Mexico applauds the efforts made to suppor t the have-nots, but we believe that this 
Organization can offer much more than the de velopment measures currently under negotiation. 
 
 The main component of a true development p ackage is real and effective market access for 
agricultural and industrial products, and services, from developing countries.  Without a proper opening, and the rules that govern it, we can neither promote trade nor combat poverty.  
 Moreover, we must not try to multilateralize problems which are regional or which primarily 
concern special relationships between groups of co untries.  Nor can it legitimately be claimed that 
success in this Round simply means endorsing the systems that some countries currently have in place.  The developed countries must offer more th an they do at present, and developing countries, 
which sometimes face problems similar to those of the least developed countries, must contribute, 
along with the rest of the international community, to the best of their ability. 
 
 Mexico will continue to seek an effective opening on all fronts.  At this Conference, we must 
make the political decisions necessary to ensure that we are in a position, during the first 100 days of WT/MIN(05)/ST/76 
Page 2  
 
 2006, to adopt full modalities in agriculture an d NAMA, after which we will immediately begin 
preparing draft schedules of concessions.   Some Members have mentioned the difficulti es they have in discussing the numerical ranges 
for such modalities, yet reaching an agreement w ill undoubtedly be very complicated if we do not 
have a clear idea of our objective.  There is a big difference between agreeing on these modalities and 
discussing numerical ranges.  Without the ranges, we  do not have the elements needed to agree on 
modalities in agriculture and NAMA.   In agriculture especially, developed count ries need to show a real commitment to 
development by adopting decisions which allow us to  move forward in the opening of their markets 
and in the substantial reduction or elimination of trade-distorting subsidies that affect producers in 
developing countries.  This undoubtedly means facing some internal political pressures in developed countries, but failing to take such action woul d mean renouncing the idea of the WTO as a true 
platform for development. 
 
 We must continue to take steps forward in the area of services, with emphasis on the sectors 
and modes of supply of interest to developing c ountries.  Although conceptual differences between 
Members obviously exist, these negotiations must r esult in an agreement with clear and effective 
disciplines and generous access for developing countries.  It is our task at this Conference to establish 
the mechanisms that will allow th e services negotiations to be concluded at the same time as the 
negotiations in other areas of market access.  Account  must be taken of the fact that the negotiating 
method for services is resource-intensive and that it therefore takes much longer to achieve a final 
result.   Our discussions on agriculture, NAMA and services must be supplemented by an agreement 
on how to improve the Anti-Dumping Agreement an d the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing 
Measures and by the strengthening of the dispute settlement mechanism, in order to guarantee the 
gains secured in this Round.  Above all, we must ensure that all
 developing countries benefit from this 
process.   We must conclude these negotiations in 2006.  At  this Ministerial Conference we will have to 
make some difficult decisions.  Next year, we must  be ready to invest an unprecedented amount of 
political capital so that our countries can receive real  and tangible benefits.  This is our historical 
responsibility.   
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