. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/8 
15 December 2011  
 
(11-6546) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   English 
 
  
INDIA 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr Anand Sharma 
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles 
  
It gives me great pleasure to be in the mids t of this distinguished gathering along with my 
Ministerial colleagues for the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the WTO. 
 
When we had last assembled in Geneva for MC7 there was a ray of hope that the global 
economy had finally emerged from the shadow of a grim  recessionary period.  Yet, the events of the 
last two years have brought out the stark reality th at the fundamental fault lines in the global financial 
architecture still remain.  We have been concerned by  the fragile nature of recovery and the prevailing 
uncertainty especially in the Euro Zone.  We ha ve a peculiar situation where the harbingers of 
free trade have themselves started looking inwards.  In the challenging backdrop of global economic 
downturn, all countries must eschew protectionism  which can only be counterproductive as it will 
deepen the recession and delay recovery.  The need  of the hour is enhanced economic engagement 
and free flow of trade.  
In a global economy almost relentlessly under siege, the WTO has an important role to play.  
We welcome the accession of Montenegro, the Russian Federation, Samoa and Vanuatu.  Their inclusion is a welcome affirmation of faith in the multilateral trading system. 
 
India welcomes the LDC-related decisions for adopti on at this Ministerial.  While this is less 
than what we have strived for over the last sev eral months, these decisions will send out a positive 
signal about WTO's commitment to the Development Agenda. 
 
India has always accorded high priority to the Services Waiver for LDCs and we welcome the 
decision in this regard.  We support the proposed streamlining of accession process for LDCs which is 
a step forward on the LDC accession guidelines adopted  in 2002.  The LDC re quest for an extension 
of their transition period under Article 66. 1 of the TRIPS Agreement has our support. 
 
India is concerned at the current impasse in the DDA negotiations.  While the last few years 
of the Round have been disappointing, we cannot  cast aside the mandate that was so arduously 
negotiated.  Nor can we abandon the processes that make the WTO a uniquely democratic institution.  
 
The WTO negotiations have always used a combin ation of approaches but always within the 
principles of transparency, inclus iveness and multilateral consensus-based agreement.  We must not 
deviate from these tried and tested principles.  
The negotiations must take place in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development 
Agenda, which means that decisions have to necessarily be based on multilateral consensus, 
regardless of the format in which negotiations take place. WT/MIN(11)/ST/8 
Page 2  
 
  I have heard suggestions for negotiating issues amongst a critical mass of Members.  This 
path is fraught with risk.  Plurilate ral agreements are a throwback to the days when decisions taken by 
a few determined the future of the rest.  They  also lack the in-built checks and balances of a 
multilateral forum.  
The DDA mandate offers us the flexibility to impl ement agreements reached at an early stage 
on a provisional or a definitive basis.  However, in practice that can be a difficult exercise as we have 
learnt from the efforts to put together first, an LD C package and then an "LDC -plus" package.  There 
are lessons to be learnt from these attempts.  It is  a path on which we must proceed with caution, not 
for a moment forgetting that this is a developm ent round.  Therefore, development issues, those 
particularly of interest to LDCs such as DFQF, Co tton, should be the foremost priority in any early 
harvest.  
The decision on duty-free quota-free market acces s to LDCs requires full implementation.  
Despite our domestic sensitivities, India was th e first developing country to extend duty-free 
quota-free access to all LDCs in line with the WT O's Hong Kong Ministerial mandate.  India's Duty 
Free Tariff Preference Scheme for LDCs came into effect in August 2008 with tariff reductions spread 
over five years.  This Scheme covers about 92.5 per cent of global exports of all LDCs and provides 
duty-free and preferential tariff access on 94 per cent of India's tariff lines.  We now propose to expand the coverage of the scheme further in line with the mandate. 
 
We would urge all developed Members to co mmit to duty-free and quota-free market access 
as per the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration on priority basis, preferably within July 2012.  
On the issue of Cotton, there is an urgent need to fully implement the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Decision for the developing world, especially the Cotton-4 countries of Africa. 
 
What we have on the table today reflects years and years of hard work and a delicate balance 
of trade-offs.  We must build on the progress alre ady achieved and persevere in our efforts to reach a 
fair, balanced and equitable outcome to the Round.  
While we continue these efforts, let us not fo rget that the WTO is much more than the 
Doha Round.  The work that goes on from day to day in its regular committees and bodies is the 
grease that keeps the wheels of the multilateral system tu rning smoothly.  It is im portant to ensure that 
this work goes on smoothly and in as efficient a manner as possible.  
It is easy to put good ideas on the table but di fficult to convert them into solutions for the 
benefit of the poor and needy.  This is a develo pment round and the poor countries have the most at 
stake.  I appeal to you to ensure that we secure what has been settled and to continue in our common 
endeavour to reach an understanding in the larger interests of the multilateral trading system.  If we 
fail today, we are unlikely to get the same opportunity for a long time to come;  if on the other hand, we are able to fulfil the promise held out by  the DDA, the WTO will not only endure but grow 
stronger. 
 
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