. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/21 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6111) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA 
 
Statement by HE Mrs Maria Idalina De Oliveira Valente
 
Minister of Trade  
   In the first place, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to address some 
words to this illustrious Ministerial Conference.  I would like also to congratulate you, Mr Chairman, 
for your election to lead our works. 
  Eight years after the historical launching of  the Doha Development Agenda, we acknowledge 
with certain concerns that the mandate given by the Members of the WTO, during the Fourth Ministerial Conference of Doha, has not be en completely realized in matters of capital 
importance for the Development Countries in general and of the less developed countries in particular. 
 
 This fact involved the right appellation of "R ound for the Development", even more serious it 
questions the credibility of the WTO as a multilateral fo rum capable of solving, in a satisfactory form, 
the serious problems that its more vulnerable Members face.  
 We believe that the collective engagement taken in Doha to place the interests and the 
necessities of the developing countries in the centre of the programme of work will not only have to be reaffirmed here in Geneva in  this Seventh Ministerial Conference but also to be materialized 
through the accomplishment of constructive progress and the fulfilment of commitments. 
  The Republic of Angola, that today lives in p eace, considers that the liberalisation of trade 
can have a positive effect in the economic growth, and recognizes the imperiousness of the integration 
of trade in national strategies to gradually eradi cate poverty, contributing to sustainable development 
and the general objectives of the Millennium Declaration. 
  However, we also have full conscience that  the opening of markets does not constitute, by 
itself, the definitive solution to the innumerable political, economical, financial and social problems 
with which Africa is still confronted, especially  since positive results obtained by the African 
countries in recent years in promoting its economic and social development are being affected by the recent economic and financial crisis.  
 The African Bank of Development esteems that the export losses for our continent will be of 
more than US$259 billion in 2009, and might  reach more than US$277 billion in 2010. 
  Although this Ministerial Conference is not a session for trade negotiations, please allow me to enhance and remember some points of extrem e importance to the less developed countries, of 
which my country belongs. 
 WT/MIN(09)/ST/21 
Page 2  
 
   In this year, at different international Summits − namely, the G-8 in L'Aquila (Italy) and the 
G-20 in Pittsburgh (USA) − many were the political declarations , made to strengthen the support to 
the less developed countries facing the unfavourable consequences of the current global crisis as well 
as to conclude ambitiously th e Doha Development Agenda. 
 
 These declarations − that we satisfactorily register − can only be credible if, in fact, they are 
expressed in negotiation positions and concrete flexibilities. 
  In this context, I would like to underline one mo re time that a "precoci ous solution" must be 
found with respect to the duty-free quota-fr ee market access, in accordance with the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, as well as remi nding the necessity to eliminate all the distortive 
measures to trade. 
 
 The initiative of "Aid for Trade" is not part of the "single undertaking" and, therefore, its 
implementation does not have to be conditioned to the adoption of a global package of engagements 
in the negotiation matters of the Doha Development Agenda, for what we reiterate the necessity of 
materializing the commitments assumed in Hong Kong and the conclusions of 2
nd global review. 
 
 The current financial and economic crisis evidences that we are all in the same boat.   Therefore, we appeal to all the Members of the WTO, and in particular to the developed 
countries, to give a more effective and concrete supp ort in order to find fair solutions for the accurate 
accomplishment of the deepest aspirations of the developing countries and the LDCs, with the aim of 
its harmonious insertion in the multilateral trade system.   We would not like to finish without stating that the Republic of Angola associates its voice to 
the LDC, African Group and ACP declarations.  A balanced conclusion of the Doha Round, will 
constitute, unquestionably, a valu able contribution for the solution of referenced difficulties. 
 
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