WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/63 
15 December 2005 
 (05-6054) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
JAMAICA 
 
Statement by the Honourable Keith D. Knight
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade  
   We are all privileged to meet in this bus tling and fascinating host city – Hong Kong – which 
close to seven million persons call home.  I congrat ulate the Chair of this Conference and his able 
team for all the logistical and administrative arrange ments, which have made our stay here enjoyable 
despite the hectic schedule.   As we meet here in Hong Kong, we must reflec t on the process of trade liberalization to date.  
Jamaica is committed to trade liberalization and to the World Trade Organization.  We will continue 
to work towards a successful Doha Round. 
 
 Yet there is cause for concern.  Many in the developing world were buoyed by the expressed 
commitment to a Development Round that came out of the Doha discussions and which was 
reaffirmed at Cancún.  Today, my country of 2. 6 million – with a labour force of approximately 1.14 
million, a trade to GDP ratio of more than 90 per cent and a sizeable and persistent merchandise trade 
deficit – has to face the disappointment of declini ng terms of trade and the erosion of long-standing 
preferential arrangements for our two largest  agricultural exports, banana and sugar. 
  In 2003, the World Bank asserted that a "pro -poor Doha Round could increase global income 
by as much as ÚS$520 billion and lift an additional 144 million people out of poverty".  The Bank further projected that there would be US$832 billion in estimated gains from global trade 
liberalization of which the majority – $539 billi on – would accrue to the developing world.  
Institutions and economists are now  adjusting the economic models and numbers.  There is growing 
recognition that the gains to the global economy for many will be less than anticipated.  The World 
Bank's projections now suggest that global gains from trade liberalization are more likely to be 
US$96 billion with only about US$16 billion, reali zable in 2015, going to the entire developing 
world. 
  A paradox of the Doha Round is that even wh ile the projected gains for a large number of 
developing countries appear to be diminishing, the demands being made on them by negotiating 
partners are going in the opposite direction.  It is to be emphasized that this is of great concern to 
CARICOM member States and to other vulnerabl e economies especially since there has been no 
unequivocal commitment to take account of thei r situation through flexible and operational 
provisions.   We recognize the attempts of some develope d Member States to buttress our efforts at 
development through proposals such as "Aid for Trade" and other ongoing initiatives geared towards 
improvements in the delivery of technical assistan ce and capacity-building.  In this regard, we 
consider support for the valuable work of organiza tions such as the International Trade Centre vitally 
important. WT/MIN(05)/ST/63 
Page 2  
 
  
 Renewed efforts at fostering development in the Doha Round must now occupy centre stage.  
This Conference can only be a success to the exte nt that there is discernible movement on the 
development agenda.  
 What do we mean when we speak of the devel opment dimension in the WTO context?  I want 
to be clearly understood.  By development I am referring to: 
 
• the promotion of the productive sectors thro ugh trade which will thereby contribute to 
the reduction of poverty; 
• the sustained development of the commodity sector which continues to be central to 
the economy of developing countries; 
• building supply capacity and competitiveness which will increase the value-added in 
the production and exports of the developing wo rld, particularly in growth areas like 
services; 
• the increase in effective market access for developing countries in the areas of 
export interest to us, which include agri culture, commodities, apparel, labour and 
resource-intensive manufactures and servi ces especially through Modes 1, 2 and 4; 
• real recognition of the asymmetries betw een developed and de veloping countries 
which are determined by factors such as the size of our economies, our supply 
capacity and institutional and regulatory cap acities which we have justifiably argued 
require special and differential treatment if we are to meet with any success in a liberalized trading environment; 
• real sensitivity towards the adjustment concerns resulting from trade reforms and 
liberalization. 
 
 My delegation is committed to having our interests clearly reflected in the following key 
negotiating areas:  
• Agriculture 
 
 We have given our support to differentiate d tariff cuts, which will prove less onerous for 
developing countries.  We remain committed to the inclusion of special products, the Special 
Safeguard Mechanism and longstanding preferences - all of which are provided for in the agreed 
July Framework.  
• NAMA 
 
 Full recognition must be given to the impa ct on fragile industries and to the revenue 
implications for small vulnerable economies.  We w ill continue to argue for an appropriate formula 
and coefficient.  We maintain that paragraph 8 flexibilities are an essential element required by 
developing countries in order to manage the process of  liberalization.  It must be remembered that 
from the first Round to the Uruguay Round, developed countries reduce their average tariffs from around 40 per cent to 10 per cent.  Then in the Uruguay Round, there was a further reduction to an 
average of about 6 per cent.  It is now being proposed that a significant number of developing 
countries including CARICOM members, reduce their av erage tariffs by 60 per cent and more in one 
huge leap.  This is not acceptable.   WT/MIN(05)/ST/63 
 Page 3 
 
 
 • Services 
 
 Jamaica continues to register its objection to the use of any modality based on mandatory 
targets, plurilateral processes, formulae or benchm arking.  We have also identified specific areas of 
export interest, particularly under Mode 4. 
 
• The Development Agenda 
  
 The development dimension remains a central concern, both as a cross-cutting issue and as well in our efforts to make special and differential treatment provisions more precise, effective and operational.  We are hopeful that agreement can be  reached at least on the treatment of the five 
LDC-specific proposals at this Conference. 
 
• Small Economies 
 
 We recognize that some progress has been  made in the Work Programme on Small 
Economies.  Let me however underscore that we will not be satisfied with language or promises that 
are not translated into specific and operati onal provisions which provide flexibility. 
 
 In closing, I take this opportunity to welcome the new Members to the WTO – Saudi Arabia and Tonga.   Let us make this Ministerial Conference memora ble in our quest for renewed vigour and fresh 
commitment to the Development Agenda.  Our histor ical obligation is to ensure a negotiated outcome 
in which development is truly the centrepiece.  
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