. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/51 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6593) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original: French 
 
  
ANGOLA 
 
Statement by H.E. Ms Maria Idalina De Oliveira Valente 
Minister of Trade 
   It is a pleasure for me to be here a nd to address some words to this illustrious 
Ministerial Conference on behalf of the Republic of A ngola.  I should like, on behalf of my delegation 
on my own behalf, to thank the Government and the people of Switzerland for having agreed once 
again to host a WTO Conference and, also to th ank the Director-General of the WTO and his 
colleagues for the organizational and logisti cal arrangements made for this event. 
  Let me also congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on your election to lead our proceedings.  
 At our last Conference held in this same ha ll, we had conveyed a message of hope and faith 
for the conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations. 
  Two years later, this message of hope and fa ith has been dissolved in the financial and 
economic turmoil experienced by some regions of the world, with some major traders even seeking 
solutions involving a change  in the Doha mandates and in their trading processes. 
  We strongly reaffirm our commitment to inclus ive and consensual multilateral negotiations in 
order to achieve a balanced outcome in all areas of  the Doha Development Agenda, so as to avoid any 
possible attempt to deviate from the current mandate.  
 We also consider that the introduction of ne w issues such as climate change and investment 
will not be beneficial for the Doha Agenda process.   The WTO's credibility as the institutional me chanism governing world trade depends on 
respect for the rules, respect for the negotiating mandate, respect for the commitments entered into 
and respect for the collective undertaking. 
  We are of the view that the collective commit ment made in Doha to place the interests and 
needs of developing countries at the heart of the Work Programme should not only be reaffirmed here 
in Geneva, but should be rapidly put into effect through the achievement of constructive progress and 
implementation. 
  The Republic of Angola, which is today reap ing the benefits of a hard-earned peace, is 
implementing increasingly efficient policies to achiev e trade facilitation and expansion, and to reduce 
economic vulnerability by diversifying the producti ve base and, hence, the national export base. 
 WT/MIN(11)/ST/51 
Page 2  
 
  This process of reinvigorating our economy al so depends on outside factors which will 
facilitate market access on the basis of foreseeable a nd favourable rules in keeping with the level of 
development of our countries and the respective sectors.   I should like to emphasize once again that an "early harvest solution" must be found with 
regard to market access, with duty-free and quote-free access in accordance with the 
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration, and to reca ll the need for an ambitious, expeditious and 
specific conclusion to matters relating to cotton, pa rticularly as regards the elimination of all trade 
distorting measures.  
 I cannot end without mentioning that the Republic of Angola associates itself with the 
statements made by the coordinators of the LDC, African and ACP Groups. 
  Despite the current difficulties, we have not lo st faith that the negotiations will be resumed 
and intensified in 2012 on the basis of progress achieved up to now and that the "development" 
dimension will continue to be the priority in all fields. 
  Concluding the Doha Round in a balanced ma nner is the challenge on which our credibility 
depends.  
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