. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/119 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6870) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original: Spanish 
 
  
GUATEMALA 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr Luis Antonio Velásquez Quiroa 
Minister of the Economy 
  
We would like to welcome Va nuatu, Samoa, Montenegro and the Russian Federation to 
the WTO. 
 
All of us in this Organization recognize the im portance of the multilateral trading system and 
the WTO and acknowledge the need to fight protectio nism, to keep markets open and to ensure proper 
integration of the developing countries, in pa rticular LDCs and sma ll, vulnerable economies. 
  We are committed to "promptly" concluding th e Doha Development Round, and have been 
for over ten years now, and we recognize the need  to strengthen the provisions on special and 
differential treatment and the dispute settlement mechanism.   However, none of those political commitments has come to fruition.  Rather, WTO Members 
seem to acknowledge that they have reached an impa sse, owing to significant differences of view on 
the possible outcomes in certain ar eas of the "single undertaking". 
  While those commitments remain a major ch allenge for all Members, the global economic 
situation continues to deteriorate.  We ca nnot wait any longer for a conclusion to the 
Doha Development Round.  Agriculture and food security are equally pressing issues. 
 
 It is therefore necessary to build a climate of international political cooperation and 
coherence.  Economic actors are not confined with in national borders and are ever more closely 
interlinked.  The rules in force no longer match the reality on the ground.  The problems of a few 
concern us all;  hence the need for coordinated and gl obal solutions.  In other words, we need to keep 
up with the pace of change in the world economy. 
 
 Guatemala, like some other Central American and Caribbean countries, is a small, vulnerable 
economy.  It is committed to this Organization and is keen to participate in a much broader global 
exercise of international political cooperation and coherence.  We propose renewing our efforts to 
reach agreements that will help to improve the living conditions of millions of people who today find 
themselves in poverty or extreme poverty.  As WTO Members, what we do or fail to do now will 
definitely have an impact on future generations.  I invite all Ministers to reflect on the scale and 
historical significance of our responsibility in that regard.   I call on the developed countries to ensure that bilateral or regional trade agreements do not 
put pressure on countries such as mine by imposing higher standards than those approved, because 
this undermines multilateralism, for example in the areas of intellectual propert y, the environment and 
labour. WT/MIN(11)/ST/119 
Page 2  
 
   
 Countries like Guatemala need mo re investment and developmen t, and new jobs to promote 
economic and social development, in order to  make progress in attaining the Millennium 
Development Goals.  There should be no more unn ecessary barriers to trade.  What trade are we 
talking about?  What kind of world do we want? 
 
 Proud of their culture and Mayan heritage, Gu atemalans are very positive and enthusiastic 
about 2012.  Guatemala is the cradle of Mayan cu lture and the capital of Mesoamerica.  The Mayans 
see 21 December 2012, the end of the 13
th baktun cycle, as a date of rebirth.  You can find out more 
by visiting the country itself. 
 
 As the sun sets on 21 December 2012, it will ali gn with the stars and planets in a way that has 
not been seen for 26,000 years.  This phenomenon is  considered by the Mayans as the beginning of 
a new era - not a disaster, as Hollywood would have it.  
 We hope that next year also si gnals the beginning of a new era for the WTO, in which we will 
evolve and move towards a new world order, mark ed by peace and prosperity, where countries such 
as mine will follow the path of economic, social a nd consequently human development with a view to 
attaining the Millennium Development Goals.  
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