WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/72 
15 December 2005 
 (05-6046) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   French 
 
  
MADAGASCAR 
 
Statement by HE Mr Roger Marie Rafanomezantsoa
 
Minister of Industrialization, Commerce and Private Sector  
Development  
 
 
For me, it is a privilege and an honour to have the opportunity, on behalf of my country, 
Madagascar, to be the current Chair of the Group of ACP Countries and to address this distinguished 
assembly at the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization. 
First of all, I should like to join previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr Chair, on your 
election to guide this Ministerial Conference.  Y our wisdom and experience are a guarantee of its 
success. 
 
On my own behalf and on that of the Malagasy  delegation, I should also like to express my 
sincere thanks to the Government and people of Ho ng Kong, China for the excellent organization of 
this Sixth Ministerial Conference of the WTO, and for the warm welcome and the hospitality we have 
enjoyed since arriving in this beautiful country. 
I also take the opportunity to welcome T onga and Saudi Arabia on their accession to 
membership of our Organization. 
My thanks also go to the Director-General a nd all the members of the WTO Secretariat who 
have made praiseworthy efforts to facilitate our work.  We hope to arrive at fruitful results with the 
objective of achieving a positive outco me to this development round. 
My delegation will play an active role at this  Conference so that, despite the difficult task 
awaiting us, we can arrive at results that meet with the approval of all. 
As is well known, the current round of nego tiations, launched in D oha in November 2001, 
drew up an ambitious work programme in order to strengthen further the multilateral trading system 
by placing the "development" dimension at the forefront of the negotiations. 
This Conference is taking place in an intern ational context that is marked by a difficult 
economic situation in which the price of energy-re lated products has soared to unprecedented levels 
while commodities, the main source of revenue for a large number of developing countries, including 
ours, have seen prices fluctuate wildly, but mostly downward. 
This crisis has been exacerbated by other problems such as natural disasters (the tsunami, 
typhoons), terrorist acts and pandemics and ep idemics (HIV/AIDS, cholera, malaria …). WT/MIN(05)/ST/72 
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 Four years after the launching of the Doha Round , development efforts have still not yielded 
tangible results.  This objective cannot be ach ieved without the commitment, endorsement and 
attachment of our respective countries to a liberal, fair and equitable trading system. 
Following the failure at Cancún and the reviva l of the negotiations in July 2004, this 
Conference in Hong Kong, China represents an opportuni ty for us to reaffirm our determination to 
strive to ensure the success of the multilateral trading system in the best interests of all Members. 
The results of the negotiations conducted to da te do not give cause for optimism, so the work 
awaiting us here in Hong Kong is even more importa nt in order to reach a consensus on the issues 
where there is still divergence. 
I am certain that, with the good will with whic h we are attending this Conference, we will 
achieve tangible results in order to maintain our cohesion within this Organization to which we are 
attached. 
As to the issues that will be discussed during th is Conference, in accordance with the interests 
of all the ACP countries, and I remind you that Mada gascar is currently chairing the group, I stress 
that the “development” dimension must remain at th e heart of the negotiations in order to allow all 
Members, but particularly the LDCs, to benefit from the positive effects of multilateral trade. 
The main components of development, includ ing special and differential treatment, the 
special situation of the least developed countries, commodity-related issues, technical assistance, capacity-building and the transfer of technology, must  be discussed with all the attention they warrant. 
As a least developed country, Madagascar suppor ts the opening up of markets in developed 
countries and in developing countries in a positio n to do so, without customs duties and without 
quotas, for products coming from LDCs. 
Regarding agricultural negotiations, we consider  that they should help to achieve further 
liberalization of global trade in agricultural products. 
As a developing country and an LDC, Madagasc ar supports proposals aimed at a substantial 
reduction in the highest tariffs and in tariff escalation, a reduction or even elimination of distorting 
domestic support measures, and the phasing out of e xport subsidies, all within a well-defined time 
frame. 
In addition, we underline the importance of sp ecial and differential treatment, which must 
remain a basic element of the negotiations that resp ect the development dimension in the area of food 
security and rural development. 
In order to limit the erosion of preferences and meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards, 
Madagascar supports binding commitments on technical  assistance and financial support for the most 
vulnerable developing countries. 
As a member of the African Union and as a cotton-producing LDC, we attach particular 
importance to the adoption of rapid, ambitious  and specific solutions on the cotton issue. 
Regarding market access for non-agricultural prod ucts, my country reaffirms its interest in 
achieving the opening of markets in  developed countries and in de veloping countries in a position to 
do so, through a lowering of customs tariffs and the elimination of technical barriers to trade, as well 
as the creation of a special committee to deal with te xtile issue, in view of its importance for LDCs.  WT/MIN(05)/ST/72 
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 Concerning trade in services, Madagascar s upports the proposals by developing countries on 
the need to liberalize further the movement of pers ons covered by Mode 4 for the supply of services. 
In the spirit of the negotiations, Madagascar, a least developed country, has made efforts to 
prepare offers in the area of services and th ese will shortly be transmitted to the WTO. 
With regard to trade facilitation, Madagasc ar recognizes the need for it, but technical 
assistance and more capacity-building for developing  countries and LDCs are required in this respect. 
On the question of implementation, like th e other LDCs, Madagascar has problems with 
certain provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements , hence, the need for appropriate technical 
assistance in these areas.  I welcome the recent adop tion of the decision on extending the transitional 
period provided under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement. 
In conclusion, I hope that all the members of our  Organization will show flexibility in order to 
ensure the success of our Conference. 
I am certain that the discussions under way, which are extremely lively, will result in a 
consensus among Members with a view to enhanced  economic growth, sustainable development and a 
more effective struggle against poverty.  
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