. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/29 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6075) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   Spanish 
 
  
COLOMBIA 
 
Statement by HE Dr Luis Guillermo Plata
 
Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism  
   On behalf of the Republic of Colombia, I s hould like to thank the authorities of Geneva for 
their hospitality, the Chair of the General C ouncil for the meticulous preparations, and the 
Director-General and Secretariat of th e WTO for holding this important event. 
  The successful conclusion of the Uruguay R ound negotiations raised high hopes of a global 
economy with increased levels of growth, investment and employment.  For leaders at that time, the 
creation of a new institutional framework with clear  and stable rules for tr ade in goods and services 
was reason to have confidence in the future. 
 
 Fifteen years of work and an increasingly globalized economic environment provide an appropriate background to our deliber ations.  It is in particular timely to examine whether the 
Organization is ready to face the turbulent conditio ns recently experienced by the global economy and 
what has been its contribution to recovery, growth and development. 
 
 Above all, the WTO stands for stability and clarity  as regards the rules of the game in trade.  
The Organization's Members face the challenge of  preserving the institutional framework and the 
obligation to defend and comply with its rules.   The economic crisis led several Members to a dopt measures that affect competitiveness.  The 
WTO must continue to be a platform for resisting protectionist pressures and should accordingly 
continue to monitor changes in such measures and their elimination so as to restore the normal terms 
of trade.  In our own neighbourhood, we have seen  the reappearance of trade barriers and the closing 
of markets, and we have reported this matter to the WTO.  
 The Doha Round offers a great opportunity to  reinforce the multilateral trading system and 
highlight its benefits for all countries, but especially developing countries.   For Colombia, one of the highest priorities is an  ambitious outcome in agricultural reform that 
will result in the opening up of markets and a significan t decrease in distortions of trade in agricultural 
goods caused by export subsidies and domestic support.   We also wish to see an improvement in the 
terms of access for our major manufactures.  Services sectors such as tourism and professional services, mode 4 and the temporary movement of persons are of interest to us, as are disciplines for national regulations in order to avoid barriers to the supply of services.   We advocate a prompt conclusion to the nego tiations, building on the progress already made.  
We must adopt negotiating modalities in agriculture a nd industrial goods no later than the first quarter 
of 2010, thereby expediting the conclusion of the Ro und the same year.  We are contributing to this WT/MIN(09)/ST/29 
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  aim with an agreement on bananas, tropical products and erosion of preferences that we are currently 
negotiating and which we hope to c onclude soon.  To be speaking re latively late at this Conference 
has its advantages:  it gives us the opportunity to listen to what our colleagues have to say about 
matters of common concern such as the global crisis, the reappearance of protectionism, the benefits of trade and the desire to complete the Round in 2010.  So what is lacking?  Only the political will 
and strong resolve of Members, combined with ha rd work and a pragmatic approach, can ensure 
balanced results for all.  We are certain that Memb ers' commitment, particularly that of the larger 
countries, will enable the Round  to be concluded in 2010. 
 
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