WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/103 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6210) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP) 
 
Statement Circulated by the United Nations Development Programme
 
 
(As an Observer) 
 
  The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System a nd the Current Global Economic Environment, 
is the theme of the 7th Ministerial Conferen ce. UNDP welcomes this focus on systemic and 
institutional issues especially in th e current economic situation.  That the multilateral trading system is 
a global public good has been underscored in recent m onths by the robust surveillance and strong peer 
pressure that has been brought to bear within the WTO framework to  keep markets open and contain a 
rising tide of trade protectionism during what has been the worst recession in six decades.  
 
 In this age, more than at any other time, th e increasing clarity of the multiple dimensions of 
global interdependence – economy, climate, public health, security, etc. – require not only new and 
innovative approaches to international cooperation but also greater coherence in finding effective 
solutions to global challenges. This is why so mu ch is at stake in the Doha Round and in other 
discussions including economic and fi nancial reform, climat e change and MDG achievement, all of 
which require well coordinated policy responses and adequate resources.  
 Need to complete the Doha Round quickly   The most obvious contribution which the WTO can  make to global coherence in the current 
economic environment is the completion of the Doha  Development Agenda (DDA).  Trade is a major 
driver of the interdependence that binds countri es together.  Under the right conditions and with 
appropriate trade rules, trade can be a powerful engine for economic recovery, growth, and human 
development. A successful completion of the D oha Round with a strong pr o-development and pro-
poor outcome in the three key areas – agriculture, n on-agriculture market access, and services – will 
in itself constitute a much needed stimulus to the world economy that is only in the early stages of 
recovery.  The successful completion of the Round is also very good insurance against the tendency 
toward protectionism. The imperative of taking every action to ensure a more dynamic economic 
recovery means that the level of ambition in  the DDA on development-centered issues cannot be 
lowered.  
 In the eight years since the Doha Round was launched, much has been achieved in clarifying 
the vision for multilateral trade rules that are resp onsive to the specificities and vulnerabilities of 
economies at different stages of development.  We  have come to recognize clearly that one size 
cannot fit all. Similarly, although still some way fro m conclusion, progress has been registered in the 
detailed technical work that is required for the prep aration of templates to make new tariffs schedules 
possible; disciplining agricultural subsidies, non-tariff barriers and other distortions; clarifying the 
rules for liberalization of trade in services; dete rmining modalities for trade in environmental goods 
and services; establishing the right framework for agreements on trade facilitation, geographical WT/MIN(09)/ST/103 
Page 2  
 
  indication, biological resources, and other rules that  are central to the effective functioning of the 
multilateral trading system.   This technical work is vital not only to ensu re clarity, transparency, and predictability, but 
also to establish precise legal parameters without which trade agreements will not work.  However, 
the Round must be concluded quickly. For this  reason, UNDP welcomes the renewed political 
mandate from the G20 London and Pittsburgh Summits and the G8 in  L'Aquila to conclude the 
technical work and the Round in 2010. If the Round is  not concluded next year, there will be serious 
doubts about whether the trade component of the global partnership for development embodied in MDG 8 can generate gains for poor countries by 2015,  now only six years away.  Joint responsibility 
and mutual accountability are the fundamental prin ciples underlying the MDGs as a global compact, 
in which trade is a key pillar.     Moreover, the yardstick by which the Round will be judged is the extent to which it fulfills 
the vision for a multilateral trading system that provides a common development-centered frame of 
reference in terms of substantive rules that respond to the very significant differences in trade capacity 
between countries.  Institutional issues   By common consent, the WTO framework is in ne ed of major reforms in relation to inclusive 
decision-making and negotiating processes as well as accession requirements that are realistic in 
regard to level of development.  Indeed, these ins titutional issues – with an obvious systemic genesis 
– will be at the centre of reflection at the Ministerial Conference. UNDP supports reforms that will strengthen participation and inclusiveness in the mu ltilateral trading system and thereby its ability to 
deliver as a global public good.   
 
Trade capacity development support    The focus on the WTO's contribution to recove ry, growth and development inevitably raises 
the issue of adjustment needs as well as support to overcome supply-side capacity constraints.  In these difficult times, putting and keeping social protection platforms in place and assistance in 
building local capacities, infrastructure, and institu tions are vital to help poor countries to take 
advantage of trading opportunities. UNDP is stro ngly committed to both the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework (EIF) and the Aid for Trade initiative as th ese are two important tools that can help build 
a more inclusive and fair globalizati on that expands opportunities for all. 
 
 Much has been achieved in completing the ne w arrangements for the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework.  But the challenge in the coming months  will be to meet the resource replenishment that 
will become due in 2010 and to step up the rate of implementation activities.  As one of the six core 
agencies and with field offices in almost all the LDCs, UNDP stands ready to play its role to support the scale up of EIF implementation.   
 Similarly, in regard to Aid for Trade, there is  need to sustain the 10 per cent annual increase 
in real Aid for Trade commitments between 2005 a nd 2007 within an overall ODA envelope that at 
the time was increasing.  In the years to come, this may not be easy and it is also crucial that Aid for 
Trade support is not provided at the expense of sup port for the social sectors, especially health and 
education.  What this means is that ODA must increase above the Gleneagles and the Millennium +5 
commitments in the run up to 2015.  Moreover, although Aid for Trade to low income countries is 
growing faster than to any other income group, th ere is still scope to better target the resources to 
ensure that the poorest countries receive the mo st Aid for Trade and to reduce the current 
concentration in a few countries.    WT/MIN(09)/ST/103 
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  UNDP activities 
  UNDP's trade-related support has three main objectives:   (i) To help developing countries build capacity to compete internationally by 
overcoming supply side constraints, especially LDCs; 
  (ii) To help developing countries build cap acity to negotiate, interpret and implement 
trade agreements in a way that prioritiz es poverty reduction and human development; 
and 
 
 (iii) To help developing countries incor porate or mainstream pro-poor, development-
centred trade policies into national st rategies, including poverty reduction 
programmes. 
 
 Analytical work linking trade and human de velopment is acknowledged as a distinct niche 
contribution of UNDP at global, regional, and na tional levels. UNDP also maintains an extensive 
private sector portfolio which seeks to foster in clusive markets. For maximum impact, reduced 
transaction costs and enhanced efficiency, UNDP in terventions are increasingly coordinated through 
the UN Inter-agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Ca pacity, an integral part of the UN 'delivering 
as one' effort. 
 
 
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