. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/165 
17 December 2005 
 (05-6183) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
SAMOA 
 
Statement by the Honourable Hans Keil
 
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour, and Minister for  
Trade Negotiations  
 
(Speaking as an Observer) 
  
 Samoa congratulates the Government of Hong Kong, China for hosting this 6
th WTO 
Ministerial Conference and the sincere hospitality extended to our delegation.   I am honoured to have the opportunity to address this very important meeting on behalf of the 
Government of the Independent State of Samoa. 
 
 Samoa is a least developed country in th e process of acceding to the WTO since our 
application for membership in April 1998.   The Government of Samoa maintains its comm itment to become a Member of the WTO and 
fully recognize the importance of a meaningful integr ation into the multilateral trading system and the 
global economy.   Samoa has undergone substantial economic re forms since 1999 which have complemented 
our efforts in moving forward our WTO accession.   Our tariff structure has been significantly 
modified with the highest duty now at 20%. 
 
 With a population of only 170,000, a relativ ely small market and a largely subsistent 
agriculture sector as the backbone of our economy,  Samoa is highly unlikely to become a major 
player in the international trading environment.    
 However, our participation in the global economy is critical in ensuring that we receive the 
wealth, benefits and security offered by the multila teral trading system.  We cannot afford to be 
marginalized or isolated from processes which shape international trade policies. 
  Samoa would very much like to conclude its  accession to the WTO on terms and conditions 
which favour and complement our economic deve lopment.  The Accession Guidelines for LDCs, 
adopted in December 2002, proves insufficient to  deter excessive and unreasonable demands of WTO 
Members on acceding LDCs and Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) and do not fully reflect the economic vulnerability and growth of a country like Samoa.   We strongly support the call by SVEs to inj ect some objectivity in the accession process for 
LDCs and SVEs by appointing a panel of experts to  examine the progress and the different stages of 
negotiating their accession package.  This will provide confidence for acceding countries.  In 
particular, the current long and cumbersome accessi on process, in which Samoa has been engaged in WT/MIN(05)/ST/165 
Page 2  
 
 for over seven years now, is made more beneficial for us and in ensuring our immediate inclusion in 
the global trading system.   Accordingly, I appeal to WTO Members to ex ercise restraint in putting excessive demands on 
least developed countries in the process of accessi on and particularly in Samoa and our Pacific 
neighbours currently undergoing this process. 
  Samoa also acknowledges the progress made in recent months on the small economies work 
programme (SEWP) on the characteristic-based appro ach, it is important for us that solutions be 
developed to address characteristics which make sm all economies vulnerable to trade liberalization. 
 
 I would like to congratulate Saudi Arabia and The Kingdom of Tonga on their accession to the WTO, in particular, the latter being the first Pa cific Island country to complete the WTO accession 
process.    
 To end my remarks, I leave with an appeal  to all WTO Members to assist in accelerating 
Samoa's WTO accession by restraining from demanding commitments that we are unable to implement and deliver, given our economic and vulnerable circumstances.  
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