WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/22 
16 December 2011 
 (11-6588) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011 Original:   English 
 
  
MINISTERS/HEADS OF DELEGATIONS MEETING OF THE GROUP 
OF RECENTLY ACCEDED MEMBERS (RAMS GROUP) 
 
Geneva, 16 December 2011 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 16 December 2011, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the Separate Customs Territory of  Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on behalf of 
the Group of Recently Acceded Members (RAMs Group). 
 
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COMMUNIQUÉ 
 
 1. We, the Ministers/Heads of Delegations of th e members of the Group of Recently Acceded 
Members (RAMs Group) participating in th e Geneva meeting on 16 December 2011,  
recognize that developments in world trade pose various challenges to the multilateral trading 
system and the functioning of the WTO. We strongly urge all Ministers and heads of 
delegations participating in th e MC8 to give the clearest possible directions for the future 
work of the WTO on the road ahead, and beyond.  
2. We emphasize  that all of the RAMs during their accessions have made extensive 
commitments to the WTO believing such commit ments are essential for a truly multilateral 
trading system, and to further promote global trade. The RAMs commitments to trade 
liberalization should encourage other Members to  make due and ambitious contributions to 
the DDA negotiations. 
3. We recall  that Ministers in Hong Kong recognized "the special situation of recently-acceded 
Members who have undertaken extensive market access commitments at the time of accession”, and stated that “[t]his situation w ill be taken into account in the negotiations". 
4. We believe  the WTO’s monitoring mechanism plays an important and effective role in 
restraining temptations to resort to protectionism during these current difficult economic times. We therefore support the continuation of such monitoring process under the auspices of 
the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), and of the regular reports presented by the Director-General, and highlight the importance to duly ta ke into consideration the wider economic and 
developmental needs, policies and objectives of the Members. 
5. We attach  great importance to transparency and we urge Members to improve the timeliness 
and completeness of notifications. We welcome the outcome of the 4
th Trade Policy Review WT/MIN(11)/22 
Page 2  
 
  Mechanism (TPRM) appraisal and urge all Members to make the best use of the newly-
streamlined mechanism with a view to enhanci ng the transparency of their trade regimes. 
6. We are committed  to efforts to further facilitate th e process of acceding to membership in 
the WTO. We call for the accession process, for the Least-Developed Countries  (LDCs) in 
particular, to be based on expanding trade and deve lopment, including through the full and 
effective implementation of the 2002 Genera l Council Decision on the Accession of LDCs.  
We congratulate the two acceding LDCs, Vanuatu and Samoa, as well as the Russian Federation and Montenegro, on their joining th e WTO, and we look forward to welcoming 
more new Members in the coming year. 
7. We recognize the tremendous efforts made thus far by Members, and by developing country 
Members in particular, as well as by the Ch airs of various Committees, to move the DDA 
negotiations forward to a successful conclusion.  Since the publication of the Chairs’ reports 
or documents on the 21st of April this year, WTO Members have for the first time since 2001 
considered the entire Doha pack age. We share the view expressed by the majority of the 
Membership that this in itself is a powerful dem onstration of the fact that the spirit of global 
trade cooperation is alive and well.   
8. We attach  great importance to continuation of the DDA negotiations an d to eventually 
achieving a successful conclusion to the Round, and regret the current impasse. We also believe that successful completion of the R ound will provide a much-needed  boost to the 
global economy and trade, which in our view is essential in enabling Members to properly 
respond to their respective economic, financial and trade challenges. 
9. We believe  that a post-MC8 programme for the DDA is essential for ensuring a successful 
and balanced conclusion to the Round.  We woul d urge that such a programme be based on 
the following principles:  
 The single undertaking is a basic principle to which we should all hold most firmly, 
and the Doha mandate should not  be changed. It is a constant reminder to us of the 
overriding importance of achieving a balanc e of interests in all areas of the 
negotiations, and among all Members, develope d or developing.  This principle, and 
the balance it seeks to achieve, should in our view never be compromised; 
 
 The principle of Full participation, Inclus iveness and Transparency (FIT) should be 
observed at all times.  Any decision on the future of the Round should be a collective decision of the full Membership through the FIT process; 
 
 The needs and interests of developing countries are at the heart of this Round and its 
work programme. In this regard, Members s hould strive to respond to their economic 
development needs in a precise, ef fective and operational fashion; 
 
 Backtracking should be avoided. By contrast, the significant progress Members have 
achieved so far in the negotiations should be  used as the basis for the next negotiating 
stage; 
 
 Mature enough issues shall be harvested in accordance with Paragraph 47 of the Doha 
Ministerial Declaration and be implemented provisionally or in an open-ended manner 
as appropriate, to be treated at a later stage under the Single Undertaking principle as an integral part of the entire DDA package; 
  WT/MIN(11)/22 
 Page 3 
 
 
   Any discussions on the WTO’s role in responding to emerging global challenges 
should also be multilateral-based; and  
 
 A review mechanism should be established for the timely examination of progress.  
10. We urge  all Members, at this most critical junctu re, to look at all the options available to 
promote the Round, in an integrated and balanced manner. We also urge all Members to work 
cooperatively and constructively towards a successf ul conclusion of the Round that is not only 
appropriate and sufficient to cope with the pa rticular challenges being faced at the present 
time, but ambitious enough to be nefit future generations as well. 
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