. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/ST/69 
17 December 2011  
 
(11-6629) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   French 
 
  
MAURITANIA 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr Bamba Ould Daramane 
Minister of Trade, Industry, Crafts and Tourism 
  
I should first of all like to congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on your election to the Chair of 
this Eighth Ministerial Conference .  I also wish to thank the people and the Government of Geneva 
for hosting this Conference in this beautiful city. 
 
My thanks also go to the Director-General and the Secretariat of the WTO  for the excellent 
arrangements made for this Conference.  
I wish to congratulate the Russian Federati on, Montenegro, Vanuatu and Samoa on their 
accession to the WTO. 
 
The members of the Mauritanian delegation and myself are pleased to take part in the 
proceedings of this Conference under your chairmanship.  
Our Conference takes place in difficult economic  circumstances, especially for the least 
developed countries.  The signs of recovery from the global financial and ec onomic crisis are still 
tentative and fragile.  
Ever-increasing trade barriers tend to undermine the multilateral trading system.  International 
food prices remain volatile. 
 
Hard-earned development gains, especially in LDCs , are threatened by a reversing trend.  
Poverty is still on the rise in many parts of the globe.  Against this back-drop, the task that lies before 
us is all the more pressing.  
A lot of time, energy and resources have been inv ested in order to achieve a fair and equitable 
outcome from Doha.  Those valuable gains must be preserved.  
An ambitious work programme was agreed at  the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in 
Doha in order to meet the concerns of the devel oping countries.  However, ten years on it has to be 
acknowledged that the results ha ve fallen below expectations. 
 
Forging ahead to break th e current impasse in the DDA  negotiations must remain our priority 
objective.  
Mauritania reiterates its commitment to th e multilateral trading system and trade 
liberalization, which it regards as beneficial fo r growth, development and people's well-being.  WT/MIN(11)/ST/69 
Page 2  
 
  However, it considers it essential that the ensuing bene fits should be equitably distributed amongst all 
countries.  
I sincerely hope that this Eighth Ministerial C onference, which carries so many of our hopes, 
leads to consensus around the fundamental questions  which arise out of the current international 
economic situation and to whic h answers are now required. 
 
I therefore think that our proceedings will have  to deliver conclusive outcomes on issues such 
as development, special and differential treatment , the services waiver, market access and cotton. 
 
I also reiterate my country's attachment to the Aid-for-Trade  Initiative and the advantage of 
mobilizing additional, predictable, sustainable and effective resources for countries that need them the 
most, particularly the least developed countries.  Effective implementation of the Enhanced 
Integrated Framework  must be facilitated. 
 
Lastly, I wish to reaffirm my country's determ ination to contribute to the strengthening of the 
role of our Organization and its commitment to join ing its efforts to those of the other WTO Members 
so that the multilateral trading system develops in a stable, predictable and equitable manner, enabling 
each country to establish and expand economic links with th e rest of the world.  It is with this in mind 
that Mauritania hopes that the procedures for accession  to the WTO will be streamlined for LDCs and 
continental and regional organizations. 
 
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