. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/102 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6177) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original: French 
 
  
ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE (OIF) 
 
Statement by HE Mr M. Abdou Diouf
 
Secretary General  
(Speaking as an Observer ) 
   Because of a crisis that has been much br oader and deeper than expected, over the past 
two years the world's prosperity and trade have dec lined to a significant degree.  This has not only 
affected the most developed, but also, and above all, the poorest countries, which have seen their 
export capacity diminish and the budgetary revenue they earned from imports fade away.  This has 
been to the detriment of essential social spending - food safety, health, education, and this continues 
to be the case.  
 This crisis has not been caused by a temporarily  unfavourable situation.  It is the result of 
serious structural failings.  A system, that had b ecome worldwide, thought that it could eliminate 
almost all the regulations, limit the State's role to the minimum and use trade to place all activities 
under the dual umbrella of monetarization and competition.  
 But increased wealth and more diversified products do not suffice to ensure a country's 
balanced development, fair sharing of income and coordinated development of competence.  The 
bodies responsible for regulating trade therefore n eed once again to play their full role.  The 
multilateral system must be made stronger, it must welcome all countries, and be given the means of 
making its members' trade policies both more transpar ent and better adapted to their own situations.  
The essential disciplines governing trade have to be given their full importance and made as effective 
as possible. 
  Like people, although countries have varying capacities and potential, they are equal before 
the law and it is the task of international organi zations to monitor the formulation and implementation 
of such rights and ensure that they are observed. 
 
 This is why today, as in Cancún and Hong K ong, La Francophonie gives its support to the 
World Trade Organization, advocates its strengtheni ng and hopes for a positive, rapid and effective 
conclusion to the Doha Round, which has placed development at the heart of its objectives. 
 
 This is why La Francophonie attaches particul ar importance to issues such as cotton, which 
must be dealt with on the basis of the commi tments made in Hong K ong, and it supports the 
introduction of coordinated additional Aid for Trade that is clea rly intended to enhance the offer of 
developing countries and the diversification of th eir economies, too dependent on the supply of raw 
materials and unskilled labour.  WT/MIN(09)/ST/102 
Page 2  
 
   By taking as its theme "The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global 
Environment", the Seventh Ministerial Conference appears to us to be working along these lines and 
is clearly giving the final impetus for the conc lusion of the Doha Round, opened in October 2009. 
  La Francophonie endorses this ambition and, with all its member countries and with the tools 
at its disposal, will endeavour to  contribute towards its success. 
 
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