. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/1 
30 November 2009 
 (09-6065) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
SINGAPORE 
 
Statement by HE Mr Hng Kiang Lim
, 
Minister for Trade and Industry  
  1. Four years ago in Hong Kong, I said that if we did not take concrete steps towards concluding 
the Doha Round, we would risk a loss of interest  and momentum.  We have spent four more years 
negotiating, but the same challenges remain.  Today, I am more anxious than ever. 
2. I am choosing to raise the Doha Round first, as th ere is no doubt that its  conclusion is critical 
to the WTO's credibility.  Repeated studies indicate that the Round would bring income benefits and development prospects that would be enjoye d across developed and developing countries.  
Particularly in this economic climate, concludi ng the Round is not just a matter of choice.  The 
questions now are how and when.  The more important  question is how.  If we can agree on how, the 
question of when should resolve itself. 
3. So how
 are we going to conclude the Round?  Firs t, we have to ask ourselves whether the 
way we are negotiating now is the best way forwar d.  Yes, in Doha and in Hong Kong we made 
important decisions on how we s hould negotiate.  While we work along these agreed principles, we 
should also seriously ask ourselves if we could, for the sake of the larger good, explore other 
complementary routes to those already agreed on.  In terms of process, as leaders, we have the 
responsibility to exercise pragmatism, flexibilit y and creativity to reach our common goal. 
4. In terms of substance, the need for leadership and political will is also not a question of just 
one or a few Members.  All of us must make hard  painful political decisions for the sake of a stronger 
multilateral trading system that will benefit us all. 
5. Ladies and gentlemen, I now come to the objectiv e of this meeting, that transcends the Round 
and unites us – and that is, how to ensure that the WTO remains relevant and credible. 
6. We established the WTO 14 years ago.  It has served us well.  In fact, given the current 
economic uncertainty, its continued relevance is al l the more important.  The initiative to monitor 
trade-related measures during the height of the cr isis showed how quickly the WTO can respond to 
real-time needs.  Singapore believes this robust monitoring has helped restrain the worst of 
protectionist measures. 
7. However, we must admit that we now face a f undamentally different world from that of 1995.  
There are new and even more fundamental challenges to address.  While we have been successful in 
tackling issues "at the border", new challenges aris e with increasing prevalence of "across or beyond 
the border" issues.  Increasingly, all the impor tant international issues will have trade and 
trade-related implications. WT/MIN(09)/ST/1 
Page 2  
 
  8. It is thus essential that renewal and the crea tion of a non-static agenda become part of the 
WTO's organizational culture.  This need not be done  only at Ministerial Conferences.  It is in the 
General Council, the regular meetings of the WT O's committees and bodies th at, I believe, we have 
the largest resources. 
9. Our other important resource is the Dispute Settleme nt Mechanism.  It must be a priority for 
us to ensure that it is equipped with the right to ols and capacity to deal with these new complexities. 
10. Therefore, it is important for us to have this  meeting at this time and at this juncture. 
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