. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/87 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6180) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES 
 
Statement by the Honourable Mr Saboto Ceasar, Senator
 
Minister of State   
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
   On behalf of the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I would like to 
congratulate the Government and people of Swit zerland on hosting this Seventh WTO Ministerial 
Conference and for the warm hospitality they have shown to my delegation. 
  Allow me, at the outset, to highlight one of the key issues of importance to my country.  St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been a traditional exporter of bananas for decades.  It has been a 
significant contributor to income, employment and growth of the country.  Owing to a long and 
protracted dispute, including panel decisions, prono uncements have indicated that the preference that 
we have enjoyed is expected to effectively co me to an end in the not too distant future. 
  Nevertheless, we along with all interested pa rties hope to see shortly a resolution of some 
sort, and a final conclusion to this long running battle.  Ideally, for us, that would have meant an 
MFN tariff treatment that took account of my country' s needs and a flexible, ex peditious and efficient 
adjustment package to adequately  meet the real needs of my country and those of my region.  
Although the anticipated resolution falls short of all these expectations we are, however, faced with 
the reality of the outcomes now on the table.   At the end of this, if we have learned one thing from this banana dispute, it is that the interests 
of the weak and vulnerable are not always safeguard ed by the multilateral system.  We hope that can 
be addressed.  We have long insisted on a solution on th is issue that is satisfactory to us, to no avail. 
  The Doha Development Agenda  was entered into primarily to address the development 
deficits that were left at the end of the Ur uguay Round of negotiations.  Yet, eight years on, 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is still waiting for this  intent to be realized.  We still stand on quite 
uncertain grounds as the first decade of the 21
st century comes to a close. 
  At a time when a last big impetus is needed in order to push the negotiations forward there are 
signs that energies seem to be waning. 
 
 We have heard and welcomed the political reaffi rmations that have been made by Ministers 
and Heads of Governments at various high pr ofile political forums in London, Washington, 
Pittsburgh, Bali, L'Aquila and Singapore on the inte nt and desirability to conclude the DDA by 2010. 
  However, while the right political sentiments are being expressed, this is far removed from 
the reality being experienced on the ground in Geneva. 
 WT/MIN(09)/ST/87 
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   St. Vincent and the Grenadines, along with the rest of the Caribbean Community, continues to 
be committed to having a fair, balanced, equitable and strong rules-based multilateral trading system 
that addresses the needs and concerns of all its members.  Such a system must contribute to 
sustainable economic growth and development, including poverty reduction and increased standards 
of living, particularly for developing countries,  small vulnerable economi es, and least developed 
countries.  It is for this reason that we call for a satisfactory and beneficial conclusion to the Doha 
Round.   Mr Chairman, recalling the mandates and intent of the Doha Ministerial Declaration, we have an opportunity through a successful outcome in these negotiations to correctly realign the centre of 
gravity of the Multilateral Trading System from a development perspective. 
  In order to do that, we need to maintain or  return key issues such as special and differential 
treatment, implementation, small ec onomies, and Aid for Trade to the top of our agenda.  I know that 
progress has been made on some of these issues su ch as on the work programme on small economies 
as manifested in the draft modalities for tariff re duction in NAMA and Agriculture.  As an SVE we 
acknowledge and greatly welcome this progress.   It is important, however, that we preserve and build on this, and other achievements that have 
been gained in the negotiations thus far.  This  is the only way we can speedily and successfully 
conclude this marathon.  We are therefore concerne d and alarmed by what seems to be attempts at 
reinterpreting or changing the mandates or devi ating from agreed principles and understandings. 
  We are also concerned that some of the fundamental principles of the system, which are critically important for small countries and delegations  like my own, may be under threat.  I speak of 
multilateralism, inclusiveness, and transparency.  St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as the rest of 
CARICOM holds dear to the principles of a bottom up approach, full participation, and consensual 
decision making.   Mr Chairman, as I conclude, we are fully aware and cognizant of the pragmatism of sub-multilateral processes.  These are sometimes need ed to move the process forward.  However we 
must stress the primacy of multilateral engagement.  There can be absolutely no substitute for this.  
We also do not want to see the flexibilities which have been identified for developing countries like 
my own being undermined within  these sub-multilateral processes. 
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines looks forward to making its contribution to the process, as 
long as we are enabled to do so. 
 
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