. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/58 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6118) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   Spanish 
 
  
URUGUAY 
 
Statement by HE Mr Nelson Fernandez Bracco
 
Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs  
   Let me turn directly to the raison d'être  of this Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference.  We 
welcome the opportunity to meet here today, at th e headquarters of this Organization, for at least 
three important reasons.  The first pertains to the institution;  the second to the historical 
circumstances;  and the third to the political resolve that is required of us.  
The institution  
 
 Four years have gone by since the last Confer ence - exactly twice the period stipulated in the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO.  During that time, we have little by little been replacing 
institutionality with informality.  Informality within and outside this Organization.  Whether this has 
been voluntary or not is of little importance.  But faced with this trend, we reaffirm that the leadership 
needed to resist protectionism, and the political impetus essential to complete the Doha Round, are 
only possible if this Organization functions legitimat ely and fully as an institution.  This requires at 
least three elements:  personal and direct proximity  with the Organization on a regular basis;  political 
identification with the Organization;  and collectiv e empowerment of the WTO at the ministerial level 
through its highest body:  the Ministerial Conference.   Uruguay practices what it preaches.  Consequently, when it saw the economic crisis coming and the trade negotiations in a dead-lock, the Preside nt of the Republic, Dr Tabaré Vázquez, together 
with his Minister of Foreign Affairs, his Minister  of the Economy and Finance, and his Minister of 
Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, hastened  to the WTO to reinforce multilateralism and to 
associate himself with the Organization at the highest political level.   For the same reason, on 30 April of this year , Uruguay asked that this regular session of the 
Ministerial Conference be convened.  But this was not dictated by circumstances alone.  The history 
of our participation in the 1946 Havana Charter a nd in the GATT, followed by the initiative to launch 
the Uruguay Round that gave birth to this Organization,  required this of us, and we acted accordingly.  
This is what we are asking of all Members today, particularly those whose obligation it is to support 
the World Trade Organization in view of the size of  their economies or their vocation as leaders.  If 
this leadership is real and not a sham, if this lead ership is truly seeking to give rise to a fairer and 
more balanced world, it must be forthcoming here and now.  Let us make no mistake:  there cannot be 
economic stability or sustainable policy without a strong multilateral system.  And there can be no 
effective multilateralism without political commi tment and without direct suuport for this 
Organization.  WT/MIN(09)/ST/58 
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  The historical circumstances  
 
 Our Seventh Ministerial Conference is taking place at a time when we might be sorely tempted to celebrate our imminent emergence from the worst global economic crisis ever 
experienced.  But we would be committing a grave erro r if we forgot how fragile our situation is.  
Although the financial situation h as improved, growth in the real sector is still sluggish.  In the 
coming year, the developed economies will grow by a mere 1.5 per cent.  And indeed, the high levels 
of unemployment that still prevail, the growing number of working poor and the high rate of 
vulnerable employment do not bode well for the rapid dismantling of intervention measures and stimulus packages which were so he lpful in countering the crisis.  And over time, they will inevitably 
distort competition and world trade.  This whole so cial – and hence political – climate suggests that 
we have a breeding ground for trade protectionism.  We must therefore remain alert and active:  the 
WTO has the instruments, the scope and the institutional strength to do what is needed. 
  If we reflect on the current situation, we mu st also acknowledge that the effects of the 
economic crisis are aggravated by the specific imp act of the food crisis:  billions of humans are 
suffering from hunger at this very moment.  Not only ar e we morally obliged to tackle this situation, it 
is also a logical prerequisite to international secu rity and stability, both today and in the future.  We 
must not forget that four decades from now, we will have to satisfy the needs of a world population 
that will have grown by 50 per cent.  We have repe atedly said, and we will co ntinue to say, that this 
crisis cannot be tackled with restrictions, but with more trade and fairer trade.  To ensure that the 
efficient food-producing developing countries have a fair chance to compete in world commodity 
markets and that agricultural support policies do not unfa irly distort international trade is not only my 
country's traditional approach, but now, in the face of this obvious reality, it is also a logical and necessary means to help eliminate hunger throughout the world.  Political resolve  
 
 We are aware of the role that the WTO has play ed as a rules-based trading system in keeping 
markets open in the face of the global crisis.  This ro le is vital to us all, in particular a country like 
Uruguay which, with its small domestic market, de pends heavily on foreign trade for its growth and 
development.  We also recognize the importan ce of the WTO in administering the Marrakesh 
Agreements.  We certainly value the WTO's economic  and political role in providing a forum for the 
settlement of trade disputes.  All of this makes up what we call the multilateral trading system.  But at 
the same time, this legislative and institutional sy stem relies on credibility, and unless the system is 
efficient from a legislative point of view, that cred ibility will be undermined.  This is why we must 
conclude the Doha Round as soon as possible:  to fulf il the original mandate of fostering growth and 
openness and supporting domestic social justice programmes, but also to make economic 
multilateralism sustainable.  Without this, there is virtually no chance of eradicating hunger, 
combating poverty, creating decent employment and alleviating the effects of climate change.  The world would be even less secure, and it would be l ess secure for all of us.  Hence the importance of 
strengthening this institution and completing the negotiations promptly. 
 
 Let me conclude by saying that the determin ation and political cooperation shown in the face 
of the financial crisis now needs to be applied to build on the negotiations of the past seven years and 
consolidate the package that is on the table.  This  will help to secure more markets, to reduce the 
scope for protectionism, and to stabilize food prices without reducing supply.  There can be no doubt 
that ultimately, there will be both trade and systemic  benefits.  On the other hand, we have a moral 
and political obligation to secure those benefits as quickly as possible by concluding the Doha 
Development Round without delay.  We urge all of you to join in this effort, to which Uruguay is 
committed.  
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